BX  8949  .B75  052  1881 

Old  Stone  Church  (Fairfield 

N.J.  ) 
Bi-centennial  celebration  o 

the  Old  Stone  Church . 


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BI-CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION, 


SEPTEMBER,  1880. 


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Bl-CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION 


OLD  STONE  CHURCH, 


SEPTEMBER  29,  1880. 


PUBLISHED    BY    THE    REQUEST   OF    MANY*. 


BRIDGETON,  N.  J.: 

A.  M.  HESTON,  PRINTER,  CHRONICLE  OFFICE, 

48  Commerce  Street. 

1881. 


PREFACE. 


The  coDgregation  proper  of  the  Old  Stone  Church,  now 
worshipping  at  Fairton,  together  with  the  First  and  Second 
Presbyterian  Churches  at  Cedarville,  the  offspring  of  the 
Mother  Church,  and  many  inhabitants  of  Fairfield,  as  also, 
descendants  of  those  long  ago  connected  with  the  Stone 
Church,  now  residing  in  remote  parts  of  the  country,  united 
in  an  effort  to  hold  a  plain,  modest,  bi-centennial  celebration, 
commemorative  of  their  ancestry,  who,  through  trial  and  by 
persevering  labor  and  earnest  piety,  founded  the  first  Presby- 
terian Church  in  Fairfield,  over  two  hundred  3''ears  ago. 

The  venerable  L.  Q.  C.  Elmer,  now  in  his  88th  year,  was 
invited  to  preside  at  the  meeting. 

The  different  pastors  connected  with  the  Mother  Church, 
and  her  two  growing  daughters,  were  requested  to  prepare 
short  histories  of  each. 

The  Rev.  Epher  Whitaker,  D.  D.,  of  Southold,  Long  Island, 
was  invited  to  present  a  more  comprehensive  historical 
address  of  general  interest,  commemorating  the  piety  and 
virtues  of  the  plain,  honest  and  devoted  men  and  women 
who  had  been  connected  with  the  Old  Stone  Church,  and  had 
zealously  served  their  Master,  in  this  portion  of  the  Lord's 
vineyard. 

The  labor  of  effecting  the  purpose  of  these  ceremonies  was 
cast   upon   the   Rev.   Samuel   R.   Anderson.     He    willingly 


4  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

accepted  the  burthen,  and  with  great  care  and  diligence  per- 
formed the  duty,  making  the  occasion  a  success. 

On  the  day  fixed,  September  29th,  1880,  although  the  7th 
of  September  ended  the  century  of  the  completion  of  the 
building,  the  Old  Church  welcomed  a  large  gathering  of 
friends,  from  the  varied  sources  above  named,  within  its 
antiquated  walls,  to  participate  in  appropriate  exercises. 
Around  the  building  canvas  was  spread,  under  which,  during 
the  mid-day  recess,  the  company  partook  of  a  generous 
collation. 

Clergymen  of  different  denominations  were  present  and 
manifested  great  interest  in  the  proceedings. 

The  Rev.  George  W.  Johnson,  of  the  Episcopal  Church, 
read  the  scriptures,  the  651st  hymn  of  the  Hymnal  was 
sung,  and  prayer  offered  by  the  Rev.  Ephraim  Ogden. 

During  the  day  the  reading  of  the  several  papers  herein 
published  followed. 

A  letter  was  read,  from  the  Rev.  David  McKee,  now  in  his 
75th  year,  who  was  for  two  years  co-pastor  with  Rev. 
Ethan  Osborn,  regretting  his  inability  to  be  present,  and 
praying  that  prosperity  might  ever  follow  the  Church.  Also, 
a  letter  from  the  Rev.  Iliram  E.  Johnson,  who,  for  a  short 
time,  was  a  stated  supply. 

Rev.  David  C.  iMeeker,  (since  deceased),  and  the  Rev.  James 
Boggs,  former  pastors,  made  extemporaneous  addresses,  giv- 
ing interesting  reminiscences  of  their  ministry  here. 

Before  closing  the  exercises,  C.  E.  Elmer,  Dr.  J.  Barron 
Potter,  Thomas  U.  Harris,  James  II.  Trenchard,  Dr.  B.  Rush 
Bateman  and  the  Plon.  George  S.  Whiticar,  were  appointed 
a  committee  of  publication.  To  this  committee,  on  request, 
the  contributors  cheerfully  forwarded  the  papers  by  them 
respectively  prepared. 

This  publication  may  appear  to  be  more  of  a  private,  than 
public  character,  since  it  must  be  of  greater  interest  to  those 
related  directly,  or  by  ancestral  connections  to  the  Old 
Church,  than  to  others. 


PREFACE.  5 

The  committee,  in  behalf  of  the  gentlemen  who  so  kindly- 
prepared  the  articles,  as  for  themselves,  ask  indulgent  criti- 
cism, on  the  many  errors  of  omission  and  commission, 
necessarily  occurring  in  writing  and  printing  a  brief  history 
of  this  kind. 

With  all  of  its  imperfections,  it  is  now  submitted,  trusting 
that  it  will  not  be  altogether  devoid  of  interest. 


REMARKS  BY  L,  Q.  C.  ELMER, 

AT    THE    OPENING    OF    THE    MEETING. 


Relations  and  Fhiends  :  So  many  of  us  now  assembled 
at  this  interesting  Memorial  Service  are  descendants  of  the 
Rev.  Daniel  Elmer,  pastor  of  the  congregation  from  1727 
until  his  death  in  1755,  that  I  feel  as  if  I  were  in  the  midst  of 
a  family  gathering.  He  did  not  live  to  occupy  this  building, 
but  most  of  his  children  and  grand- children  did.  His  son, 
Theophilus,  .was  the  leading  manager  in  its  erection,  during 
the  privations  and  trials  o^  the  Revolution,  in  which  he  was 
an  influential  actor,  as  a  member  of  the  Legislature  and 
Committee  of  Safety.  The  Township  was  organized  by  an 
act  of  the  Legislature  of  West  Jersey,  passed  at  Burlington, 
May  12th,  1697,  which  reads  as  follows  : 

"An  Act  for  Fairfield  erected  into  a  Township. 
Whereas,  the  peopling  of  the  Province  does  increase  the 

value  thereof,  and  some  encouragement  to  new  settlers  is 

a  means  to  effect  the  same, 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Governor,  with  the  advice  of  the 
Council  and  Representatives,  in  this  present  Assembly  met 
and  assembled,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  same.  That  the 
Tract  of  Land  in  Cohansey,  purchased  by  several  People, 
lately  Inhabitants  of  Fairfield  in  New  England,  be  from  and 
after  the  Date  hereof,  erected  into  a  Township,  and  be  called 
Fairfield,  which  is  hereby  impowered  to  the  same  Privileges 
as  any  other  Townships  in  this  Province  are  or  have  been, 
that  are  not  Towns  incorporate." 


8  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH, 

♦ 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted,  that  no  records  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  Township  authorities,  before  the  early  part  of 
the  present  century,  are  extant.  The  people  thus  incorpo- 
rated were  remote  from  the  seat  of  government  of  the  State, 
and  from  Salem,  the  county  seat,  with  which  they  had  no 
means  of  intercourse  except  by  long  horseback  rides  through 
the  wilderness,  or  by  water  in  open  boats ;  and,  no  doubt, 
for  many  years  governed  themselves  after  the  manner  of 
their  forefathers  in  New  England,  by  a  union  of  Church  and 
State. 

Ordinances  were  passed  at  town  meetings  which  had  the 
force  of  laws,  as  late  as  1756.  When  William  Ramsay  was 
called  to  the  pastorate,  the  people  joined  in  a  written  con- 
tract that  his  salary  of  "80  Pounds  Proclamation  ($213) 
should  be  levied  on  all  their  Estates,  bdth  real  and  personal, 
which  are  subject  to  rate  in  the  Provincial  Tax,"  For  many 
years,  especially  during  the  conflict  with  Greenwich  in  1748- 
50,  about  the  county-seat  of  Cumberland,  the  people  on  this 
side  of  the  Cohansey  were  called  "South-siders,"-and  those  on 
the  other  side  "  North-siders."  Scmie  of  the  settlers  removed 
at  an  early  date  over  to  Greenwich,  others  to  Hopewell  and 
Deerfield,  and  became  the  founders  of  two  other  Presbyterian 
Churches.  The  influence  of  these  Puritan  forefathers  was 
long  felt  in  the  county,  to  the  great  benefit  of  the  community, 
and  still  exists. 

The  task  of  now  commemorating  the  founders  of  this 
congregation  and  their  descendants,  has  been  committed  to 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Epher  Whitaker,  who,  himself  descended  from 
one  of  the  early  settlers,  and  educated  in  this 'community, 
cannot  fail  greatly  to  instruct  and  interest  us.  I  trust  that 
those  who  are  living  at  the  Bi-Centenary  of  the  founding  of 
the  Township  will  feel  bound  to  remember  their  origin  and 
progress  by  appropriate  proce.edings.  After  prayer  by  the 
Rev.  Ephraim  Ogden,  also  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  old 
settlers,  we  will  listen  to  Rev.  Dr.  Whitaker. 


NOTES. 


The  following  address  was  prepared  amid  the  unceasiug 
duties  of  responsible  and  laborious  pastoral  work.  There  was 
no  attempt  to  give  it  the  charm  of  elegance.  The  disadvan- 
tage of  the  utmost  compression  was  necessary,  to  the  exclusion 
of  much  that  would  have  given  diversity  of  color  and  pic- 
torial beauty.  Accuracy  has  been  the  aim,  though  the  purpose 
has  doubtless  failed  of  full  accomplishment.  All  the  means 
within  reach  have  been  used  to  make  the  statements  trust- 
worthy. The  chief  authorities  consulted  are  Hodge's  "  Con- 
stitutional History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,"  Gillett's 
"  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,"  Webster's  "  History  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,"  Sprague's  "  Annals  of  the  Amer- 
ican Pulpit,"  Shourds'  "History  and  Genealogy  of  Fenwick's 
Colony,"  especially  Elmer's  "  History  of  the  Early  Settlement 
and  Progress  of  Cumberland  County,"  "  The  Pastor  of  the 
Old  Stone  Church,"  by  Hotchkin,  Elmer  and  Burt,  "  The  Old 
Man  Beloved,"  by  Boggs,  Bateman's  "  History  of  the  Medical 
Men  and  of  the  District  Medical  Society  of  the  County  of 
Cumberland,"  Brown's  "  Outline  History  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  West  or  South  Jersey,"  Barber  and  Howe's  "  His- 
torical Collections  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,"  Bacon's  "  His- 
torical Discourses,"  Stearns'  "  First  Church  of  Newark,"  Hat- 
field's "  History  of  Elizabeth,"  Trumbull's  "  History  of  Con- 
necticut," Howell's  "  Early  History  of  Southampton,  L.  I.," 
Thompson's  "  History  of  Long  Island,"  Prime's  "  History  of 
Long  Island,"  Corwin's"The  Corwin  Genealogy,"  Alexander's 


10  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

"  Log  College,"  Hall's  "  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Trenton,"  Catalogues  of  various  Colleges  and  Seminaries, 
Minutes  of  various  Presbyteries,  Synods  and  General  Assem- 
blies, Wilson's  "  Presbyterian  Historical  Almanac,"  volumes 
I  to  X,  and  many  pamphlet  and  periodical  Publications. 

Efficient  and  generous  aid  has  been  rendered  by  Charles 
E.  Elmer,  Esq.,  Dr.  J.  Barron  Potter,  Mr.  Thomas  U.  Harris, 
Dr.  B.  Push  Bateman,  Hon.  George  S.  Whiticar  and  Mr. 
James  H.  Trenchard,  to  whom  most  cordial  thanks  are  due, 
as  well  as  to  many  other  kind  and  intelligent  friends,  for 
their  indispensable  assistance. 

Some  lines,  and  even  paragraphs,  have  been  retained  that 
were  in  the  delivery  omitted  for  want  of  time. 

There  is  hope  that  the  publication  of  the  address  may 
afford  a  little  help  to  some  competent  hand  in  writing  with 
thoroughness  and  order  the  noble  history  of  this  old  and 
fruitful  Church  of  Fairfield,  New  Jersey. 

E.  W. 

SouTHOLD,  L.  I.,  Dec.  16,  1880. 


ADDRESS  BY  REV.  EPHER  WHITAKER,  D.  D. 


The  character  of  this  celebration  is  such,  that  an  address 
on  the  History  of  the  First  Church  of  Fairfield  should  not 
greatly  exceed  an  hour  and  a  half;  and  this  length  of  time 
will  not  suffice  to  give  the  contents  of  the  volume.  What 
may  now  be  offered  must  rather  have  the  appearance  of  an 
index.  The  volume  is  great  and  precious,  and  the  index  may, 
perhaps,  prove  useful  to  some  few  individuals ;  but  there  is 
no  hope  that  it  can  be  interesting  to  many  persons. 

Let  me  therefore,  first  of  all,  bespeak  your  kindness  and 
your  patience ;  and  in  the  next  place,  say  a  word  of  most 
grateful  acknowledgment  to  those  generous  friends  whose 
beneficence  and  courtesy  have  been  severely  taxed  and  found 
equal  to  anything  in  supplying  the  rich  treasures  of  this 
History.  They  will  doubtless  be  mindful,  that  the  ample 
materials  for  a  weighty  volume  cannot  be  presented  within 
the  compass  of  this  address. 

A  few  good  trees  from  one  place  and  another  were  trans- 
planted here  in  the  early  years  of  our  colonial  period,  and 
their  fruits  have  produced  wide-spread  and  luxuriant 
gardens,  and  orchards,  and  even  vast  forests.  The  statement 
is  ventured,  that  only  a  person  who  has  given  himself  eagerly 
for  months  or  years  to  the  investigation  and  study  of  the  life 
and  fruitfulncss  of  this  congregation,  can  understand  how 
wide  and  fair  a  record,  how  worthy  and  honorable  a  histor}^, 
it  has  made  within  this  township  and  bej'ond  it. 


12  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

The  oldest  churches  now  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  the 
United  States  of  America  had  a  spontaneous  and  biblical  origin. 
They  were  not  constituted  by  the  authority  and  official 
action  of  any  Presbytery.  They  were  formed  in  connection 
with  those  political  organizations  which  are  called  towns  in 
New  England  and  New  York,  and  townships  in  some  other 
parts  of  the  United  States.  The  oldest  of  these  churches  is  the 
First  Church  of  Southold,  Long  Island,  which  was  gathered 
on  the  twenty-first  of  October,  1640.  The  Southampton 
Church  was  formed  the  next  month. 

These  oldest  churches  were  made  the  basis  of  the  towns;  for 
at  first  it  was  only  the  adult  male  communicants  of  the 
churches  that  could  vote  at  the  town-meetings.  No  other 
person  had  any  voice  or  authority  in  the  civil,  judicial,  or 
military  administrations,  though  the  right  of  protection  in 
person,  property  and  good  name  belonged  to  all  the  inhabi- 
tants. The  first  churches  of  Easthampton,  Setauket  and 
Hempstead,  Long  Island,  and  those  of  Newark  and  Elizabeth, 
New  Jersey,  as  well  as  others  of  the  old  Presbyterian  Churches 
of  Long  Island  and  New  Jersey,  were  formed  originally,  like 
Southold  and  Southampton,  as  town  churches,  the  town-meet- 
ing calling  the  minister  and  the  town  officers  assessing  and 
collecting  a  tax  on  all  ratable  property  for  his  salary.  The 
church  was  the  highest  public  school  and  the  minister  was 
the  teacher;  and  his  support  by  an  assessment  on  all  the 
property  of  the  people  was  perfectly  orderly  and  appropriate. 

The  people  who  came  here  from  the  towns  and  churches  of 
Connecticut,  Long  Island  and  JCast  Jersey  knew  their  religious 
wants,  and  they  proceeded  to  supply  them,  according  to  their 
ability  and  their  understanding  of  the  word  of  God,  by  organ- 
izing this  church  about  1690.  They  desired  a  worthy  man 
to  minister  the  word  and  sacraments,  and  they  obtained  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Bridge,  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College.  He 
was  a  man  of  wealth,  piety,  learning,  ability  and  manifold 
experience.  He  was  born  at  Hackney,  England,  in  1657,  be- 
longed to  a  family  of  property  and  consideration,  came  to 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  13 

America  in  his  youth,  was  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1675,  be- 
came a  merchant,  went  on  business  to  Europe,  became  a  min- 
ister in  England,  returned  to  Boston  in  1682  with  testimonials 
from  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Owen  and  others.  He  sailed  from 
Boston  to  the  West  Indies,  and  preached  successively  in 
Jamaica,  New  Providence  and  Bermuda.  He  obtained,  in 
1692,  from  the  West  Jersey  Society  of  England,  the  right  to  a 
thousand  acres  of  their  land  wherever  he  should  please  to 
take  up  the  same.  He  selected  mainly  what  is  now  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  city  of  Bridgeton,  including  East 
Lake  and  the  Indian  Fields  beyond  it.  This  was  surveyed 
for  him  in  1697,  the  same  year  that  the  West  Jersey  Assem- 
bly authorized  the  organization  of  Fairfield  township  without 
territorial  boundaries.  He  had  also  another  survey  bounded 
by  the  Cohansey  and  Rocap's  run.  The  Dares,  Riley s,  Lum- 
mises,  Fosters  and  others  bought  and  settled  on  parts  of  his 
Indian  Fields.  He  probably  continued  here  not  more  than 
ten  or  fifteen  years.  He  returned  to  Boston  and  was  there 
installed  one  of  the  pa.stors  of  the  First  Church,  May  10, 
1705.  He  published  several  sermons.  He  was  eminent  for 
integrity,  diligence,  modesty  and  moderation.  He  died  while 
pastor  of  the  First  Church  of  Boston,  September  26,  1715, 
aged  58  years. 

His  ministry  here  was  in  the  log-cabin  period.  The  meet- 
ing house  was  built  of  logs.  Most  of  the  dwellings  were 
doubtless  of  the  same  kind.  There  were  few  fields  and 
fences.  Fish  and  game  were  essential  parts  of  the  food  of  the 
peopjle.  There  were  no  mills  to  grind  grain  ;  no  bridges. 
The  only  roads  were  rivers  and  streams.  Many  of  the  people 
were  living  on  lands  for  which  they  had  no  legal  title — leases 
only.  Few  horses  and  cattle  were  here — probably  not  a  cart 
— certainly  not  a  wagon.  One  generation  must  grow  up  in 
hardship  and  privations,  with  scanty  opportunities  for  learn- 
ing and  religious  improvement.  The  heads  and  hands  of  the 
people  are  given  to  the  physical  necessities  of  their  condition 
— to  building  houses,  digging  up  trees'  roots,  opening  roads, 


14  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

making  bridges,  erecting  dams  and  mills,  raising  horses, 
cattle  and  other  stock  ;  and  the  hearts  of  the  best  are  torn  and 
bleeding  to  see  the  education  of  their  children  neglected  ;  in- 
telligence, morals,  religion  decline. 

The  next  minister,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Smith,  came  from  good 
Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  stock,  and  his  wife,  Esther 
Parsons,  from  Massachusetts,  belonged  to  one  of  the  best  fam- 
ilies of  the  commonwealth.  He  was  born  at  Iladley,  in  1G74, 
graduated  at  Harvard  in  1G9.5;  one  of  his  classmates  being 
Jedediah  Andrews  who  became  in  l/OS  the  first  pastor  of  the 
First  Church  of  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Smith  was  ordained  and 
installed  here  May  10,  1709.  He  continued  here  not  more 
than  two  er  three  years.  He  left  because  the  people  failed  to 
pay  him  enough  salary  for  his  support.  His  subsequent 
history  is  well  known  and  honorable. 

He  was  followed  by  a  comparatively  worthless  minister, 
who  never  became  a  pastor  of  this  church. 

How  this  Ivev.  Samuel  Exell  came  to  be  here  is  unknown. 
The  Presbytery  vainly  invited  him  to  attend  their  meeting, 
and  wrote  to  the  church  sharply  against  him.  He  soon 
moved  to  Chestertown,  Maryland,  where  he  formed  a  congre- 
gation of  his  own. 

The  congregation  sent  John  Pgden  as  their  messenger  to 
the  Presbytery,  with  a  petition,  in  1712.  The  next  year 
Ephraim  Sayre,  in  their  behalf,  asked  the  Presbytery  for 
advice  respecting  the  choice  of  a  minister.  In  the  same  j^ear 
Howell  ap  Howell,  a  Welshman,  applied  for  admission  to  mem- 
bership in  the  Presbytery.  The  Presbytery  permitted  him 
to  preach,  but  not  to  become  a  pastor,  in  any  of  their  churches, 
and  desired  him,  within  a  year,  to  obtain  additional  testimo- 
nials from  some  eminent  mijiisters  in  England  known  to  them. 
He  came  and  preached  here  acceptably.  In  1714  he  attended 
the  Presbytery,  with  Joseph  Seeley,  a  representative  of  this 
church.  He  had  in  vain  sought  the  desired  testimonials;  but 
the  Presbytery  believed  him  to  be  fit  for  a  pastor,  and  gave 
him  the  unanimous  call  of  this  congregation.     He  accepted 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  15 

it.  The  Presbytery  installed  him  October  14,  1715.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Andrews  preached  the  sermon.  Mr.  Powell  died 
here  less  than  two  years  thereafter.  It  is  believed  that  while 
he  was  the  pastor,  the  log  meeting  house  gave  place  to  a  frame 
one,  built  in  the  New  England  style,  shingled  on  the  sides  and 
ends  as  well  as  the  roof.  It  stood  near  the  site  of  the  old  one 
in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  old  burying-ground.  The 
worshippers,  having  no  pews,  sat  on  benches ;  but  the  new 
edifice  was  doubtless  a  source  of  much  thankfulness,  and  a 
great  addition  to  the  comfort  of  the  people.  The  worthy 
descendants  of  Mr.  Powell  have  perpetuated  his  good  name 
and  influence  in  this  place  for  a  hundred  and  sixty  years. 
Before  his  death,  a  road  was  opened  from  the  meeting  house 
to  the  ferr}^  at.  Greenwich ;  and  another,  which  crossed  the 
streams  above  Fairton,and  running  a  mile  east  of  Bridgeton, 
passed  through  the  Indian  Fields,  and  so  north  until  it  joined 
a  road  from  Salem,  near  Clarksborongh,  and  thence  through 
Woodbur}^  and  Haddonfield  to  Burlington,  the  capital  of  West 
Jersey.  No  wheels  passed  over  these  roads  until  another  gen- 
eration grew  up  here. 

Mr.  Powell's  successor  was  the  Rev.  Henry  Hook,  an  Irish- 
man, who  was  admitted  to  the  membership  of  the  Synod  in 
17J8;  but  seems  to  have  never  been  installed  here. 

Before  this  time  Presbyterian  meetings  began  to  be  held  in 
Greenwich.  Several  families  of  Scotch  and  Scotch-Irish  set- 
tled there,  and  trustees  in  1717  received  a  deed  for  land  on 
which  to  build  a  churcli-edifice.  A  church  was  organized  as 
early  as  1728.  Mr.  Hook  preached  in  both  Fairfield  and 
Greenwich.  The  two  congregations  were  not  harmonious, 
and  at  Mr.  Hook's  re([ucst  the  Rev.  Mr.  Andrews  came  from 
Philadelphia  to  heal  some  differences.  This  was  done.  Then 
such  chaiges  were  made  against  Mr.  Hook  that  he  was  com- 
pelled to  cease  his  ministry  here,  and  b}^  the  order  of  the 
Synod  he  was  publicly  rebuked  in  the  Fairfield  Meeting 
House,  and  forbidden  to  preach  for  a  season.  He  was  soon 
restored,  and  pursued  his  ministry  in  Delaware  until  his 
death  in  1741. 


16  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

In  1724  the  Rev.  Noyes  Parris  came  here.  He  was  admit- 
ted to  membership  in  the  Synod  the  next  year.  He  was  a 
son  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Parris,  pastor  of  Dan  vers,  Massachu- 
setts, then  a  part  of  Salem.  He  was  born  in  1692.  In  that 
year  two  children  in  his  father's  family  complained  of  being 
tortured  by  a  witch,  and  the  sad  history  of  the  Salem  witch- 
craft followed.  It  was  not  the  best  time,  place  and  conditions 
in  which  to  be  born,  and  the  noon  of  his  life  was  no  brighter 
than  the  morning.  He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1721, 
preached  here  five  years,  and  then  such  charges  were  made 
against  him  that  he  returned  irregularly  to  New  England. 

We  have  reached  a  point  where  about  forty  years  have 
passed  since  the  formation  of  the  church.  There  are  two 
houses  for  public  worship — one  here  and  one  in  Greenwich — 
perhaps  two  organizations.  There  is  yet  no  church-edifice 
in  Deerfield.  The  whole  region  whose  waters  flow  into  the 
Cohansey,  has  for  its  Christian  and  orthodox  people  one  Bap- 
tist Church  on  the  west  side,  and  one  Presbyterian  Church  on 
the  east  side.  The  population  has  greUtly  increased.  The 
children  baptised  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bridge  have  grown  up. 
Much  land  has  been  lurrowed  by  the  plough.  •  Horses  and 
cattle  are  multiplied,  and  the  horse  and  saddle  are  more  used 
and  the  boat  less  employed  for  travelling.  The  dwellings  are 
larger  and  better.  The  physical  burdens  and  hardships  of 
the  people  are  diminished.  Both  food  and  clothing  can  be 
more  easily  obtained.  But  there  is  yet  nmch  sickness,  and  it 
is  not  alleviated  by  any  skillful  medical  practice.  No  trust- 
worthy physician  lived  within  the  present  limits  of  Cumber- 
land county  for  the  first  half  century  of  its  occupation  by 
white  men. 

But  the  times  and  the  men  at  length  came  for  better  con- 
ditions of  life.  The  streams  are  turned  into  servants,  and 
their  power  is  put  to  use  for  many  purposes.  They  not  only 
convert  logs  into  boards  and  lumber,  but  also  grain  into  flour 
and  meal,  and  wool  into  cloth.  Markets  are  opened ;  barter  in 
some  measure  ceases,  and  money  is  more  freely  used. 


DB.  WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  .      17 

The  first  minister  who  lived  here  long  enough  to  make 
any  great  and  permanent  mark  upon  the  place  is  the  Rev. 
Daniel  Elmer.  His  honorable  ancestry  is  well  known.  He 
was  born  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  in  1690,  graduated  at 
Yale  in  1713,  taught  a  classical  school,  married,  and  preached 
several  years  in  Massachusetts,  came  here  probably  in  1727, 
with  his  wife  and  five  children,  purchased  a  farm  near  the 
church,  and  became  its  pastor  in  1729.  He  stood  well  in  the 
Presbytery  and  the  Synod.  When  the  latter  formally  adop- 
ted the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith  and  Catechisms,  he 
declined  to  do  it  at  that  time,  and  thus  proved  that  he  had 
conscience  and  character  enough  to  stand  alone.  He  was 
subsequently  prepared  to  confess  his  faith  in  the  same  words 
which  his  ministerial  brethren  had  adopted,  and  he  did  it. 
His  ministry  here  was  prosperous  until  Whitefield  came  to 
Cohansey.  His  charge  included  nearly  all  the  people  east 
and  south  of  the  river.  A  church  was  organized  at  Green- 
wich as  early  as  1728,  when  the  Rev.  Ebenezer  Gould  became 
its  pastor.  Eleven  years  later  this  Mr.  Gould  removed  to  the 
Cutchogue  Church  in  Southold,  Long  Island.  His  removal 
opened  the  door  widely  for  itinerants,  and  they  soon  made 
disturbance.  Whitefield  preached  there  in  April  and  October 
1740,  and  again  in  September,  1746.  In  this  month,  the 
Rev.  Andrew  Hunter  became  pastor  of  Greenwich  and  Deer- 
field.  The  distractions  of  the  times  greatly  disturbed  and 
embittered  the  whole  Presbyterian  Church  throughout  thg 
colonies,  and  divided  it  in  1741.  But  Mr.  Elmer's  ministry 
was  so  efficient,  that  about  1745  he  built  a  new  dwelling  near 
the  church,  having  obtained  a  legal  title  for  his  farm,  previ- 
ously purchased.  He  had  his  survey  so  made  that  he  could, 
and  did,  give  the  church  also  a  valid  title  for  the  burying- 
ground,  including  the  site  of  the  meeting  house.  This  deed 
was  made  June  9,  1747,  to  Ebenezer  Westcott,  Deacon ;  Capt. 
John  Ogden,  Deacon ;  William  Bradford,  Ephraim  Dayton, 
Jeremiah  Buck,  Lieutenant;  Edward  Lummis,  Lieutenant; 
David  Ogden,  Ensign ;  Matthew  Parvin,  Benjamin  Davis, 
2 


18  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

Thomas  Bateman,  Thomas  Harris,  Jr.,  Nathaniel  Whitaker, 
Ebenezer  Bower,  James  Rose,  Stephen  Clark,  Thomas  Whita- 
ker, John  Garretson,  Thomas  Ogden  and  Daniel  Bateman. 
They  were  a  committee  chosen  to  take  the  Release  from  the 
pastor. 

The  divisive  spirit  of  that  day  caused  some  unhappy  sepa- 
rations in  the  congregation,  and  a  part  of  the  people,  includ- 
ing the  pastor's  eldest  son,  ceased  their  public  worship  here 
and  often  went  to  Greenwich.  This  son  had  married  a 
daughter  of  a  zealous  Baptist,  and  made  his  home  near  his 
father-in-law's.  The  trouble  was  serious  enough,  the  pastor 
thought,  to  be  submitted  to  the  consideration  of  the  Synod, 
and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  visit  Fairfield  and  make 
an  effort  to  heal  the  disorders.  Mr.  Elmer's  death,  January 
14,  1755,  prevented  any  action  on  the  part  of  this  committee. 
His  grave  is  in  our  old  burying-ground,  and  the  inscription 
on  his  tomb-stone  is  ecclesiastically  significant.  It  does  not 
speak  of  him  as  the  late  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
but  of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  Fairfield.  It  thus  indicates 
the  puritan  and  independent  origin  of  the  church,  and  shows 
that  it  was  at  first  a  Town  Church.  In  the  deed,  also,  two 
deacons  are  named,  but  no  ruling  elder.  Mr.  Elmer's  new 
dwelling  was  burnt  to  the  ground  about  the  time  of  his  death, 
and  with  it  all  the  previous  records  of  the  church.  For  the 
time  and  place,  the  estate  which  he  left  was  large,  £428,  4s, 
6d.  He  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  died  soon  after 
they  came  to  Fairfield.  She  had  seven  children,  three  sons 
and  four  daughters.  Her  remoter  descendants  are  very  many. 
His  second  wife  was  Susanna  Webster,  and  their  children 
were  two  sons  and  three  daughters.  She  survived  him  and 
after  his  death  married  in  succession  two  other  husbands. 
But  her  grave  is  by  the  side  of  her  first  husband's.  His  off- 
spring have  been  as  prominent  and  influential  in  this  county 
and  State  as  those  of  any  other  man  who  has  ever  lived  in 
this  county.  Charles  E.  Elmer,  Esq.,  is  now  the  head  of  the 
family  according  to  the  rules  of  the  old  common  law,  and  his 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  19 

son  Daniel  is  the  seventh  Daniel  in  the  direct  lineal  descent 
of  eldest  sons. 

The  eldest  son  of  the  Rev.  Daniel  Elmer  came,  at  thirteen 
years  of  age,  with  the  family  from  Massachusetts.  His  father 
educated  him  to  be  a  land-surveyor,  and  he  followed  his  pro- 
fession all  his  life.  In  1738  he  married  Abigail  Lawrence, 
daughter  of  Nathan  Lawrence,  who  moved  from  Long  Island 
to  Cedarville  before  1720,  and  became  wealthy.  Daniel  El- 
mer made  his  home  near  his  father-in-law  and  prospered. 
He  had  been  early  admitted  to  the  full  communion  of  the 
church  ;  but  when  Whitefield  came,  in  1740,  to  Cohansey,  Mr. 
Elmer,  two  years  after  his  marriage,  became  a  follower  of  this 
famous  Episcopal  clergyman.  His  father-in-law  had  built  a 
meeting  house  in  Cedarville  for  the  use  of  the  Baptists,  and 
after  the  builder's  death,  this  house  became  the  property  of 
Mr.  Elmer,  and  the  Rev.  Gilbert  Tennent  and  other  Presby- 
terian followers  of  Whitefield  preached  in  it.  After  the 
Presbyterians  united  in  1758,  Mr.  Elmer  returned  to  his  early 
religious  home  and  became,  as  early  as  1760,  an  elder  of  this 
church.  For  the  last  four  years  of  his  life  he  was  the  clerk 
of  the  county.  He  died  in  1761,  aged  46  years  ;  but  though 
so  young,  he  left  five  sons  and  five  daughters. 

Before  the  Rev.  Daniel  Elmer's  death  the  disruption  of  the 
Presbyterian  denomination  had  continued  fourteen  years,  and 
a  strong  tendency  towards  reunion  had  become  manifest. 
The  Fairfield  Church  and  its  disaffected  members  were  feel- 
ing the  genial  influence  of  the  better  spirit.  Wise  measures 
were  therefore  adopted  to  remedy  the  disorders  in  this  place. 
Mr.  Thomas  Ogden  was  appointed  to  go  to  Connecticut  and 
get  a  minister  from  the  old  home.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Francis  Al- 
ison, of  Philadelphia,  commended  him  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ezra 
Stiles,  President  of  Yale  College;  but  no  suitable  minister 
could  be  found  in  Connecticut  who  would  come  here.  Hap- 
pily the  fit  person  was  found  nearer  home.  This  was  William 
Ramsay,  who  was  born  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  in 
1732,  and  graduated  at  the  college  of  New  Jersey  in  1754. 
His  call  is  in  this  form  : 


20 


THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 


"March  22d,  175t5.     Fairfield,  in  Cumberland. 

We,  whose  names  are  underwritten,  do  mutually  Promise 
and  Agree  to  call  Mr.  Ramsay  to  the  pastoral  care  of  this 
Congregation,  and  to  give  him  Eighty  pounds  Proclamation, 
per  annum,  for  our  Lawful  Minister :  To  be  levied  on  our 
estates  both  Real  and  Personal,  which  are  subject  to  rates  in 
the  Provincial  Tax.  Our  Lands  and  Certainties  to  be  valued 
by  a  Committee,  by  us  to  be  chosen  and  appointed  for  the 
purpose  : 


Daniel  Elmer, 
Thomas  Bateman, 
Thomas  Ogden, 
Thomas  Whitecar, 
Ephraim  Buck, 
John  Powell, 
Nathaniel  Diament, 
Henry  Peirson, 
Jonathan  Lorance, 
Robt.  Low, 
Jeremiah  Buck, 
David  Ogden, 
Israel  Petty, 
Edward  Lomis, 
Abraham  Sayre, 
David  Husted, 
Joseph  Ogden, 
David  Westcote, 


James  Ray, 
Benjamin  Stratton, 
Joseph  Westcote, 
Jonathan  Westcote, 
Thomas  Joslane, 
Zadoc  Thompson, 
William  Dickson, 
Jonathan  Stratton, 
Ephriam  Harris, 
Daniel  Westcote, 
Joseph  Seeley, 
Amos  Ireland, 
Nathan  Lorance, 
Jonathan  Diament, 
David  Fithian, 
Jeremiah  Nickson, 
Henry  Sparks, 
Daniel  Bateman, 
Moses  Husted." 


James  Diament, 

These  thirty-eight  men  thus  engaged  to  pay  the  salary  ac- 
cording to  an  assessment  upon  all  the  property  of  each,  made 
by  a  committee  of  their  own  choice.  The  sum  amounted  to 
about  eight  dollars  and  a  half  from  each  man,  in  silver,  on 
the  average;  a  yearly  payment,  by  every  one,  of  the  price,  per- 
haps, of  a  good  cow,  or  two  acres  of  good  land,  at  that  time. 

To  be  free  from  the  partisanship  of  the  times,  Mr.  Ramsay 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  21 

went  to  Fairfield,  Connecticut,  for  license,  and  received  it 
from  the  Association  of  the  Eastern  District  of  Fairfield 
county ;  and  to  win  the  favor  of  the  disaffected  here,  he  also 
joined  the  Presbytery  of  Abington,  in  Pennsylvania,  a  New 
Side  body.  This  Presbytery  ordained  and  installed  him  De- 
cember 1,  1756.  Something  more  than  a  year  later,  the  two 
Synods  became  one,  and  he  then  joined  the  Presbytery  of 
Philadelphia,  to  which  the  church  belonged.  When  order 
had  been  restored  there  were  seventy-eight  communicants  in 
this  church,  and  as  many  square  miles  in  the  bounds  of  the 
congregation,  from  the  Indian  Fields  to  Newport. 

In  1758  Mr.  Ramsay  married  Sarah,  the  eldest  daughter 
of  Col.  Ephraim  Seeley,  who  died  June  22,  1774.  His  grave 
is  in  our  old  burying-ground  near  the  Cohansey  river. 

On  his  marriage,  the  congregation  bought  for  Mr.  Ramsay's 
use  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  on  the  east  side  of 
Sayre's  Neck,  a  little  below  the  school-house,  about  two  miles 
south  of  the  church.  His  home  was  on  this  farm  till  he  died, 
November  5,  1771,  in  the  thirty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  In 
1850,  Dr.  J.  Barron  Potter  copied  the  inscription  on  his 
tomb-stone,  as  well  as  all  the  others  in  our  old  cemetery,  and 
has  generously  published  them.  It  speaks  of  his  superior 
genius  and  native  eloquence  which  shone  so  conspicuously  in 
the  pulpit  as  to  command  the  attention  and  gain  the  esteem 
•of  all  his  hearers.  It  also  states  that  he  discharged  his  duty 
faithfully  in  every  situation  in  life ;  that  he  was  greatly 
respected  and  died  universally  lamented.  His  piety,  virtues, 
worth  and  eloquence  were  commemorated  in  a  glowing 
eulogy  from  the  lips  and  pen  of  his  pupil  and  brother-in- 
law,  Dr.  Jonathan  Elmer.     It  was  printed. 

His  widow  married  the  Rev.  Dr.  Robert  Smith,  of  Pequea, 
in  the  native  county  of  her  first  husband.  Her  second 
husband  was  the  father  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Stanhope  Smith, 
D.D.,  L.L.D.,  successively  President  of  Hampden  Sidney 
College,  Virginia,  and  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey  ;  and 
also  the  father  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Blair  Smith,  successively 


22  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

President  of  Hampden  Sidney  College,  Virginia,  and  of 
Union  College,  New  York.  The  Rev.  Dr.  John  Blair  Smith 
succeeded  George  Duffield  and  preceded  Archibald  Alex- 
ander and  Thomas  Brainerd,  as  pastor  of  the  Third  Church, 
Philadelphia.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Robert  Smith's  wife  survived 
her  husband  and  died  here  among  her  kindred,  August  9, 
1801,  aged  63  years.  Her  grave  is  near  her  father's  and  her 
first  husband's. 

Mr.  Ramsay  did  much  to  form  the  character  of  some  of 
our  greatest  and  best  men.  He  taught  and  trained  the  young 
Elmers,  Newcombs,*  Harrises,  Bucks,  Seeleys,  and  others 
who  became  men  of  renown  in  the  revolutionary  period. 
He  formed  a  congregation  equal  to  anything  that  could  be 
required  of  it.  The  religious  life  of  the  people  was  specially 
vigorous,  and  that  produced  intellectual  energy,  and  ten 
thousand  manifestations  of  wholesome  activity.  Sometimes 
forty  or  fifty  a  year  were  admitted  to  full  communion. 

The  act  dividing  Salem  county  and  forming  Cumberland 
was  passed  in  1748,  but  the  entire  separation  did  not  occur 
until  the  year  after  Mr.  Ramsay's  death,  when  Cumberland, 
apart  from  Salem,  first  elected  members  of  the  Colonial 
Legislature. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Ramsay's  ministry  included  the  times  of  the 
conquest  of  New  France  in  America,  a  transition  period 
scarcely  less  important  than  the  years  of  the  revolutionary 
war;  for  in  those  French  wars  New  Jersey,  like  Connecticut, 
put  into  the  army  in  two  years  more  than  one-fourth  of  her 
arms-bearing  men,  in  order  to  spread  the  Protestant  religion 
and  English  rights  over  this  continent ;  and  the  people  also 
paid  taxes  that  would  now  be  deemed  intolerable. 

The  Rev.  William  Hollingshead  succeeded  Mr.  Ramsay. 
His  English  ancestors  settled  in  New  Jersey.  He  was  born 
in  Philadelphia  in  1748,  admitted  to  the  full  communion  of 
the  church  in  his  boyhood,  graduated  at  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  studied  for  the  ministry,  and  was  licensed  in 

*Col.  Dayton  Newcomb  died  March  22,  1809,  aged  57  years. 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  23 

1772,  and  became  the  pastor  of  this  church,  installed  by  the 
First  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  July  27,  1773.  In  the 
autumn  of  the  same  year  he  married  Sarah,  the  only  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Jane  Harrison  McCalla,  of  Roadstown,  in  this 
county.  Soon  after,  it  was  found  necessary  to  provide  for  the 
building  of  a  new  house  of  worship,  to  make  sure  of  the 
future  comfort  and  growth  of  the  congregation  and  the  town- 
ship. The  frame  building,  used  more  than  half  a  century, 
had  become  unsafe.  It  was  taken  down  in  1775.  The  pulpit 
and  benches  were  set  in  the  shade  of  an  oak  near  the  site  of 
the  church,  and  this  was  the  place  of  the  public  worship  in 
fair  weather.     But  the  congregation  did  not  sing : 

'•  The  groves  were  God's  first  temples." 

They  made  arrangements  to  build  a  suitable  edifice. 
There  seems  to  have  been  no  difficulty  in  selecting  the  new 
site  for  the  new  building.  The  hallowed  and  grateful 
associations  of  the  old  place,  even  though  sanctified  by  the 
graves  of  their  parents,  they  made  subordinate  to  the  pros- 
perity, convenience  and  welfare  of  the  people  and  of  posterity. 
The  good  of  the  township  required  that  the  church  should 
stand  on  the  main  road  running  through  its  centre  from  one 
end  to  the  other.  Accordingly  they  bought  land  here,  and 
determined  that  the  structure  should  be  substantial,  built  of 
such  materials,  of  such  size,  in  such  style,  and  with  such 
workmanship,  as  to  be  worthy  of  its  purpose,  and  of  the 
worshippers  within  its  walls.  Circumspicite.  Behold  it !  The 
type  of  the  structure  is  not  Yankee  ;  it  is  rather  Scotch.  But 
the  stones  were  scarcely  quarried  and  brought  upon  the 
ground  when  the  storm  of  war  burst  from  the  clouds  which 
had  been  growing  darker  for  years.  No  lull  permitted  the 
enterprise  to  go  forward  until  the  British  force  was  mainly 
transferred  to  the  southern  part  of  the  country  early  in  1780. 
Then  our  fathers  determined  to  arise  and  build,  even  in  the 
troublous  times.  Many  hearts  were  ardent  and  many  hands 
were  active  in  the  work.  Providence  greatly  favored  the 
design,  and  no  rain  fell  from  the  time  the  foundations  were 


24  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

laid,  on  the  first  day  of  May,  until  the  rafters  were  raised  and 
the  roof  put  on  in  the  middle  of  June.  The  speaker  well 
remembers  with  what  admiration  in  his  boyhood  he  heard 
this  statement  from  the  lips  of  Moses  Bateman,  Esq.,  who  in 
his  early  manhood  worked  upon  the  building  all  the  time  it 
was  rising  from  foundation  to  roof-tree.  The  interesting  fact 
is  well  attested  by  the  journal  of  John  Stratton,  Esq.,  and 
other  testimony.  Thus  in  spring  and  summer  the  work 
advanced  so  rapidly  that  before  the  first  week  of  autumn 
was  past,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hollingshead,  sharing  the  joy  and 
thankfulness  of  his  people,  could,  in  this  house,  lead  their 
profound  and  grateful  devotions.  He  preached  his  first 
sermon  here,  September  7th,  1780,  from  Philippians,  3  :  7. 
"  But  what  things  were  gain  to  me,  those  I  counted  loss  for 
Christ." 

The  house  was  now  a  shelter  for  the  people,  and  defied  ^he 
rain  and  the  snow,  but  the  labors  of  a  year  were  required  to 
finish  it  within,  and  to  form  rules  for  its  use  by  the  families 
of  the  congregation.  As  soon  as  they  could  worship  in  it, 
the  people  gave  themselves  to  the  promotion  of  their  spiritual 
welfare,  and  in  the  spring  of  1781,  forty-eight  persons  were 
admitted  to  the  full  communion  of  the  church  and  nearly  an 
equal  number  a  few  months  later.  The  spiritual  ingathering 
which  followed  the  building  of  this  house,  added  to  the  full 
membership  one  hundred  and  fifteen  persons.  The  pew- 
rents  amounted  to  one  hundred  pounds  a  year — enough  at 
that  time  to  buy  a  good  farm — probably  one  per  cent,  of  the 
whole  value  of  the  estates  of  all  the  pew-holders. 

In  1783  the  church  was  incorporated  by  a  special  act  of 
the  State  Legislature,  and  entered  upon  this  new  stage  of  its 
history  in  the  same  year  that  the  independence  of  the  United 
States  was  acknowledged  by  the  treaty  of  peace  with  Great 
Britain. 

The  church  was  incorporated  August  4th,  1783,  and  the 
Trustees  who  have  been  members  of  tlie  Board  since  the 
incorporation,  are  as  follows  ; 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS. 


25 


Samuel  Westcott, 

Jedediah  Ogden, 

James  Ogden, 

John  Houseman. 

Nathan  Bennett, 

Amariah  Harris, 

Daniel  Westcott,  Jr., 

Eli  Elmer, 

John  Bower. 

Amos  Westcott, 

William  Batenian, 

David  Pierson. 

Levi  Preston, 

Ephraim  Harris. 

Jonathan  Ogden, 

Jeremiah  Nixon. 

Levi  Stratton. 

Ephraim  Buck. 

Jonathan  Bateman, 

David  Westcott. 

John  Ogden, 

Thomas  Burch, 

Joseph  Ogden, 

Amos  Bateman, 

Reuben  Powell. 

Norton  Lawrence. 

Charles  Howell. 

John  Thomas  Hampton,  M.  D.. 
(who  was  the  Treasurer  for 
some  years  before  his  death, 
Sept.  39.  1794,  aged  42  years.) 

James  Clark. 

Thomas  Whitakei-. 

Thomas  H.  Ogden, 

James  Diament, 

Jonathan  Bennett, 

Daniel  Elmer, 

Ebenezer  Seeley, 

Jesse  Parvin. 

John  Bateman, 

David  Bennett, 

Abraham  Sayre. 

James  Harris,  Esq., 

Bayse  Newcomb. 

Benjamin  Thompson, 

Lot  Fithian, 

Burgen  Bateman, 

Urbin  Diaon,  (Diament  ?)  (Dixou  ?) 

John  Powell, 

Eleazer  Smith, 


Charles  Harris, 
Samuel  Westcott, 
Pierson  Harris, 
Jeremiah  Nixon.  Jr., 
David  Harris. 
Moses  Bateman, 
Nathan  Bateman, 
Joseph  Bateman. 
Amos  Fithian. 
Moses  Hunt. 
E])hraim  Dayton. 
John  Elmer.  Sr.. 
Silas  Smith, 
Daniel  Burt, 
Mnason  (?)  Bowen. 
Ephraim  Smith, 
1800,       Nathaniel  Whitaker, 
Nathan  Bateman,  Jr. 
Joseph  Dannals, 
Ephraim  Lummis, 
Ezekiel  Westcott. 
Jasper  Burt. 
Asa  Smith, 
William  Husted, 
Elias  Howell. 
John  W'eatherby, 
Nathan  Gandy, 
Benjamin  L.  Ogden, 
Isaac  Bisliop. 
Enoch  H.  More, 
Matthias  Burcii, 
Lot  Fithian.  Jr.. 
Ejihraim  Nixon, 
David  Roray, 
Ephraim  Bateman, 
Joseph  Newcomb, 
William  Bateman, 
Henry  Westcott. 
Reuel  Whitaker. 
Neri  Ogden, 
Norton  O.  Lawrence, 
John  Trenchard. 
Thomas  Harils, 
David  F.  Bateman, 
Asa  Fish, 
Oliver  Russell, 
John  Howell, 
Reuben  Powell, 
Sheppard  Gandy. 
Thomas  H.  Ogden, 


26 


THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 


Henrj-  Ilowell, 
Ephrahn  Westcott.  Jr., 
James  Diaiiient,  Jr., 
Ephraiiu  Luminis,  Jr., 
Israel  Bateman, 
Oliver  Elmer, 
Jason  Oi^den, 
Ephraim  Fitliian, 
Aaron  Seeley, 
Lorenzo  Lawrence, 
John  Wliitakcr. 
Henry  Wliitakcr, 
Elkanah  Bateman. 
John  Trcnchard,  Jr., 
Daniel  Bateman, 
Elmer  O^^den,  Jr., 
1823.       Norton  O.  Lawrence, 
Nathaniel  Diament, 
William  Westeott, 
Jeremiah  Bateman, 
Nathan  Gandy. 
Elmer  O^den,  Jr.. 
Jeremiah  Bennett. 
Daniel  L.  Burt, 
Harris  Ogden, 
John  Howell, 
Isaac  Harris, 
Ejjhraim  Bateman, 
Joseph  Burt, 
Henry  Brooks, 
John  Oi^den. 
David  F.  Bateman, 
Ephraim  Dayton, 
George  Howell. 
Reuben  Powell, 
Jonathan  D.  Hairis, 
Leonard  Lawrence, 
Joseph  Dayton. 
William  A.  Smith, 
Daniel  C.  Pierson,  M.  D., 
Leonard  Lawrence. 
Thomas  Ogden. 
John  Elmer, 
Ephraim  H.  Whiticar, 
Edmund  Howell, 
Reuben  Bateman, 
Ephraim  Westeott, 
Nathaniel  Diament, 
William  Mooie, 
Georae  Ojiden. 


Theophilus  E.  Harris. 
David  S.  Ogden, 
Reuben  Ware, 
Henry  Sheppard, 
James  Campbell, 
Reuben  Nixon, 
George  Smith, 
Horace  Elmer. 
Joiin  P.  Moore, 
Jeremiah  Thompson, 
Henry  Powell, 
George  W.  Nixon, 
Nathaniel  Howell, 
Abel  Johnson, 
Roljcrt  Westeott, 
David  Clark. 
Leonard  Bateman, 
John  Holmes. 
William  A.  Smith. 
James  Camjjbell 
Natlian  DulHeld, 
1813.        Butler  Thompson, 
Joseph  Campbell, 
John  McChesney, 

1844.  Ethan  Ti-enchard, 
Adrian  Bateman, 
Henry  R.  Conover. 

1845.  Joseph  F.  Jaggers, 

1846.  Theophilus  Treuchard. 
1&17.       George  E.  Elmer, 

Josiah  Bennett, 
1848.       Harris  O.  Elmer, 
1851.       Theophilus  Touilinson, 
George  S.  Whiticar, 
James  E.  Elmer. 
Aaron  Smith, 
R(jl)ert  M.  Bennett, 
J(jhn  W.  Harris, 
Benjamin  Jaggers. 
James  Campbell.  Jr.. 
James  A.  Whitecar.  Jr. 
Daniel  Stites, 
Thomas  P.  Clark. 
Elias  W.  Bateman, 
Henry  C.  Treuchard, 
Joseph  Smith, 
Samuel  H.  Williams, 
James  Smith, 
Lewis  B.  Holmes, 
Levi  J.  Craig, 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  27 

Theophilus  E.  Smith.  Robert  L.  Woodruff, 

Robert  G.  Smith,  George  Lorenzo  Elmer, 

James  H.  Elmer,  Justus  Livingston, 

Edwin  W.  Starn,  James  MrNichols. 

In  1783  the  church  lost  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Hollingshead,  who  accepted  a  call  to  the  pastoral  charge 
of  the  Circular  or  Independent  Church  of  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  the  principal  congregation  in  the  chief  southern 
capital.  He  continued  to  be  the  faithful  and  efficient  pastor 
thereof  until  1815,  when  he  was  stricken  down  while  minister- 
ing in  the  pulpit  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  thereafter  gradually 
declined  until  January  26,  1817,  when  he  died,  after  a  minis- 
try of  forty-four  years.  His  wife  survived  him  about  three 
years  and  eight  months,  and  died  while  visiting  at  the  Rev. 
Jonathan  Freeman's,  in  Bridgeton.  Her  grave  is  in  Green- 
wich, The  Rev.  Dr.  Hollingshead,  during  his  later  ministry, 
held  a  prominent  place  in  Charleston,  as  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Bridge  did  in  Boston  during  the  last  years  of  his  life.  Dr. 
Hollingshead  published  his  funeral  sermon  on  the  death  of 
his  brother-in-law,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Daniel  McCalla,  edited  this 
brother-in-law's  works  in  two  volumes,  and  prefixed  a  memoir 
of  his  life.  Dr.  McCalla  preached  as  a  licentiate  here  for  six 
weeks  in  August  and  September,  1772,  just  before  Dr.  Hol- 
lingshead came  and  preached  six  Sabbaths.  The  first  sermon 
of  the  latter  was  from  1  Cor.  6:20.  "Glorify  God  in  your  body, 
and  in  your  spirit,  which  are  God's;"  and  this  rule  he  him- 
self obeyed  through  all  the  decades  of  his  ministry. 

It  is  time  to  turn  our  attention  to  the  Ruling  Elders.  John 
Ogden  appeared  in  the  Presbytery  in  1712.  His  tomb-stone 
in  our  old  grave-yard  shows  that  he  died  December  22,  1745, 
aged  75  years.  His  American  kindred,  earlier  than  himself, 
have  an  exceedingly  interesting  history.  He  seems  to  have 
built  the  first  flour-mill  in  Fairfield,  and  so  changed  the  name 
of  the  north  branch  of  the  Cohansey  to  Mill  Creek.  His  son 
David  succeeded  him  in  the  ownership  of  the  mill,  and  died  in 
December,  1760,  aged  53  years.  This  David  married  Mary 
Diament.     Their  eldest  son,  John,  was  the  father  of  Jedediah, 


28  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

one  of  our  Elders,  who  married  Mary  (Polly),  daughter  of 
Ambrose  Whitaker.  Their  eldest  son,  Isaac  Ambrose  Ogden, 
a  cousin  of  the  speaker's  father,  studied  for  the  ministry  with 
the  Rev.  Jonathan  Freeman,  of  Bridgeton,  and  became  pastor 
of  the  Cape  May  church  previous  to  1819.  He  removed  to 
Ohio  as  early  as  1825,  and  the  next  year  his  parish  was  the 
three  counties  of  Union,  Franklin  and  Fayette.  He  labored 
in  the  western  part  of  that  State  and  on  the  verge  of  Indiana 
for  many  years,  and  died  there  faithful  unto  death. 

Benjamin  S.  Ogden  was  a  captain  in  the  I'.  S.  Army  during 
the  war  of  1812-14. 

Fifty  years  ago,  a  conspicuous  person  here  was  John  Ogden, 
an  Elder  thirty  years,  until  his  death,  in  1832.  His  home 
was  a  fine  farm  in  Rockville.  He  always  attended  public 
worship;  but  the  state  of  his  health,  in  his  later  years,  com- 
pelled him  to  fall  asleep  a  few  minutes  during  the  sermon. 
He  could  not,  in  his  pew,  resort  to  the  expedients  to  maintain 
wakefulness  which  were  practised  by  some  of  his  grandsons 
and  other  youngsters  in  the  gallery.  Hand  ignota  loquor.  One 
of  this  Elder's  sons,  Elmer  Ogden,  was  a  member  of  the  Leg- 
islature. Another  son,  Benjamin,  was  born  in  this  township 
of  Fairfield,  on  the  fourth  day  of  October,  1797.  He  pre- 
pared for  college,  and,  in  his  boyhood,  entered  the  College  of 
New  Jersey,  and  was  graduated  at  Princeton  in  the  class  of 
1817.  In  college  he  was  associated  with  a  very  choice  com- 
pany of  young  Christians,  including  the  Rev.  Drs.  Robert 
W.  Condit,  Daniel  Baker,  John  Goldsmith,  Charles  Hodge, 
Ravaud  K.  Rodgers,  Charles  S.  Stewart,  William  J.  Armstrong, 
John  McLean,  Eli  W.  Caruthers,  David  Magie,  and  Bishops 
John  Johns  and  Charles  P.  Mcllvaine.  After  his  graduation, 
he  became  a  tutor  of  the  College,  and  prepared  for  the  minis- 
try in  the  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  which  he  entered 
in  1819,  and  pursued  his  studies  there  for  two  years.  He  was 
licensed,  in  April,  1821,  by  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  to 
preach  the  gospel,  and  in  June,  1822,  the  same  Presbytery 
ordained  him  at  Bensalem,  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania.    He 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  29 

ministered  there  for  more  than  a  j^ear,  and,  in  1823,  he  was 
installed  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  Castle,  as  the  pastor  of 
Lewes,  Delaware,  where  he  faithfully  performed  his  pastoral 
duties  more  than  three  years.  During  this  time  the  Presby- 
tery of  Lewes  was  formed.  The  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick 
received  him  to  membership  from  the  Presbytery  of  Lewes, 
on  the  28th  of  November,  1826,  when  a  call  from  the  church 
of  Pennington,  New  Jersey,  was  placed  in  his  hands.  He 
accepted  it,  and  the  Presbytery  installed  him  as  the  pastor  of 
this  large  and  important  church,  on  the  8th  of  December, 
1826.  He  was  the  sixth  pastor  of  that  church,  and  his  imme- 
diate predecessors  for  eighty-five  years  had  been  the  Rev. 
Messrs.  John  Guild  and  Joseph  Rue.  Mr.  Ogden  pursued  his 
ministry  with  great  fidelity  and  usefulness.  The  additions  to 
the  full  membership  of  the  church  in  1833  were  not  fewer 
than  forty-five.  During  the  winter  of  1837-8,  there  was  a 
remarkable  work  of  divine  grace,  under  his  pastoral  care.  A 
vivid  description  of  it  was  published  in  the  Presbyterian,  of 
Philadelphia,  written  from  Pennington,  April  24,  1838.  On 
the  16th  of  that  month,  sixty  persons  were  admitted  to  the 
full  communion  of  the  church,  the  oldest  being  seventy  years 
of  age  and  the  youngest  eleven  years — twenty-nine  of  them 
having  never  been  baptized  until  the  previous  day.  The 
Presbytery,  near  the  close  of  the  same  month,  made  a  partic- 
ular report  of  this  gracious  ingathering,  and  stated  that  it 
might  "  be  characterized  as  having  to  a  remarkable  degree 
embraced  persons  in  middle  life  and  the  heads  of  families." 
This  large  accession  to  the  membership  of  the  church  was 
speedily  followed,  as  often  happens  in  such  cases,  by  the  ter- 
mination of  Mr.  Ogden's  pastoral  care  thereof.  During  the 
twelve  years  of  his  pastorate,  one  hundred  and  eighty-six 
persons  were  admitted  to  full  membership,  the  church  edifice 
was  greatly  enlarged,  its  interior  rebuilt  and  fitted  for  its  relig- 
ious uses  according  to  the  better  taste  and  greater  comfort  of 
modern  times.  The  present  plan  was  also  adopted  to  collect  the 
money  for  the  expenses  of  the  congregation  by  pew-rents, 


30  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

doing  away  with  the  antique  and  unsatisfactory  method  of 
yearly  subscriptions.  Under  Mr.  Ogden's  pastorate,  steps 
were  also  taken  to  erect  a  church  edifice  in  the  western  part 
of  the  parish,  at  Titusville,  in  which  public  worship  might 
be  held  on  Sabbath  afternoons.  This  house  was  built  of  stone 
and  opened  for  its  sacred  purposes  soon  after  Mr.  Ogden's 
pastorate  ceased.  His  ministry  in  the  main  at  Pennington 
was  prosperous,  and  ended  when  he  was  about  forty  years  of 
age,  in  the  full  vigor  of  his  powers.  He  then  removed  to 
Michigan,  and  preached  there  in  Three  Rivers,  Niles,  and 
elsewhere,  for  some  years.  He  subsequently  removed  to 
Valparaiso,  Indiana,  and  became  the  minister  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  that  place,  where  he  died  January  11th, 
1853,  in  the  sixty-sixth  year  of  his  age.  The  Rev.  George 
Hale,  D.  D.,  his  immediate  successor  as  the  prosperous  and 
faithful  pastor  of  the  First  Church  of  Pennington,  now  the 
worthy  and  efficient  Secretary  of  the  General  Assembly's 
Board  of  Ministerial  Relief,  in  his  admirable  history  of  -the 
Pennington  Church,  says  of  Mr.  Ogden  :  "  He  was  married  to 
Emily  T.  Sansbury,  October  15th,  1821.  There  were  ten 
children,  four  sons  and  six  daughters,  all  of  whom  were  living 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  One  daughter  is  the  wife  of  the 
Rev.  James  Green,  and  another  of  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Reiheldafifer, 
D.  D.  One  son,  Thomas  Spencer,  born  in  Pennington,  Jan- 
uary 9th,  1832,  entered  the  ministry." 

This  bright,  worthy  son,  Thomas  Spencer  Ogden,  was 
graduated  at  the  University  of  Michigan  ;  subsequently  at 
the  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  in  1857.  He  married, 
in  the  same  year,  Miss  Phoebe  C.  Combs,  of  Perrineville,  New 
Jersey.  They  visited  Fairfield  in  the  early  autumn  of  that 
year,  about  the  time  of  his  ordination  by  the  Presbytery  of 
New  Brunswick.  They  sailed  from  New  York,  October  6th, 
1857,  and  arrived  at  Corisco,  Africa,  January  14,  1858.  He 
entered  into  the  missionary  work  with  great  earnestness  and 
industry,  and  soon  became  efficient  in  several  departments. 
He  withstood  several  attacks  of  fever,  but  the  last  and  very 


DR.   WHITAKER'S  ADDRESS.  31 

malignant  one  overpowered  him,  May  11,  1861.  He  was  a 
very  faithful,  lovely,  energetic  and  useful  Christian  minister 
and  missionary,  and  died,  as  he  believed,  at  the  post  of  duty, 
danger  and  death.  Mrs.  Ogden  returned  to  this  country  with 
their  only  child — a  bright  boy. 

Another  of  these  good  Ogdens  is  Ephraim,  the  best  boy  in 
Sayre's  Neck,  fifty  years  ago.  He  is  the  grandson  of  Jason, 
and  the  son  of  that  Jason  who  was  born  June  26,  1777.  He 
was  born  a  member  of  this  church,  June  9,  1818  ;  baptised  in 
his  infancy  by  his  pastor,  the  Rev.  Ethan  Osborii,  and  admit- 
ted to  full  communion  with  sixty  others  in  August,  1836.  He 
prepared  for  college  with  Levi  F.  Claflin,  in  Bridgeton,  and 
the  Rev.  Dr.  John  W.  Scott,  in  Steubenville,  Ohio.  He  was 
graduated  at  Jefferson  College  in  1844,  pursued  the  full  course 
in  the  Western  Theological  Seminary,  was  licensed  by  the 
Presbytery  of  Steubenville,  in  April,  1847  ;  ordained  by  the 
Presbytery  of  Allegheny  in  November,  1848,  and  at  the  same 
time  installed  pastor  of  the  churches  of  Middlesex  and  West- 
minster. Ten  years  later  he  was  released  from  the  care  of 
Westminste-r ;  but  he  is  now  the  faithful  bishop  of  Middle- 
sex, as  he  has  been  for  nearly  thirty-two  years.  He  married 
first,  Sarah  Jane  Harrison,  of  Steubenville,  Ohio,  January  11, 
1848;  secondly,  Mary  Jane  Banks,  of  Neshannock  Falls,  Pa., 
June  29,  1853 ;  thirdly,  Lavinia  McGarrah,  of  Clarion 
county,  Pa.,  January  30,  1867.  They  have  passed  into  the 
Father's  heavenly  house  before  him,  and  the  two  children  of 
the  first,  and  one  of  the  second  wife,  have  followed  their 
mothers.  Four  of  the  second  and  four  of  the  third  continue 
with  him.  Three  are  married.  He  has  often  been  chosen 
by  his  brethren  in  the  ministry  for  important  service,  and 
has  represented  his  Presbytery  in  several  General  Assemblies, 
including  the  last. 

Another  of  these  Fairfield  Ogdens  that  must  be  named  is 
Jonathan,  grandson  of  Jonathan,  and  son  of  Curtis.  He  was 
born  in  Fairton,  December  10, 1809.  The  family  afterwards  re- 
moved to  Bridgeton, where  his  father  was  postmaster  more  than 


32  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

twenty  years,  and  became  a  prominent  Deacon  of  the  Baptist 
Church.     Jonathan  Ogden  entered  the  full  communion  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  on  the  confession  of  his  faith,  in  1827. 
Four  years  later  he  removed  to  Philadelphia,  where,  in  1833, 
he  married  Abigail,  third  daughter  of  Robert  Murphey,  Esq., 
a  sturdy  Protestant   from   county    Antrim,   Ireland,   and  a 
thorough  Presbyterian.     Mrs.  Ogden's  elder  sisters  also  mar- 
ried men  from  Bridgeton,  namely,  John  Sibley  and  John 
Heilig — all  of  them  being  persons  of  great  Christian  worth. 
Mr.  Ogden  moved,  in  1852,  to  New  York  for  business  and 
Brooklyn  for  a  residence.     Four  years  later  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Devlin  &  Co..  then  and  for  several  years 
thereafter  the  largest  clothing  house  in   the  United  States, 
employing  from  one  thousand  to  two  thousand  persons.     In 
1874  he  retired  with  a  competence,  having  built  on  Brooklyn 
Heights  such  a  residence  as  he  desired.     His  fellow-citizens  of 
this  part  of  Brooklyn,  the  head  of  its  wealth,  intelligence  and 
refinement,  have  repeatedly  chosen  him  to  represent  them  in 
the  State  Legislature.     He  has  done  it  with  eminent  ability 
and  honor.     He  is  the  Vice  President  of  the  Long   Island 
Fire  Insurance  Company,  which  has  prospered  through  forty- 
seven  years.     He  served  the  church  for  several  years  in  the 
Board  of  Domestic  Missions,  for  eight  years  in  the  Board  of 
Church    Erection,  being   its    Treasurer  for    years.     He  was 
elected,  in  1854,  an  Elder  of  the  Second  Church  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ichabod  S.  Spencer,  author  of 
the  "  Pastor's  Sketches."     In  1863  he  entered  the  Session  of 
the  First  Church,  New  School,  Henry  Street,  and  for  the  last 
seventeen    years  he  has  been  a  most  efficient  officer  of  this 
First   Church.      The   divine   blessing   has   rested    upon   his 
household.     One  son  in  early  manhood,  ripe  for  heaven,  was 
transferred  almost  in  a  moment  from  earthly  toil  to  supreme 
rest   and    blessedness.      The   other   four    children   are   well 
settled  in  life,  and  all  intelligent,  sincere,  earnest  and  active 
Christians.     While  Mr.  Ogden  was  in  the  Legislature,  a  keen 
observer  and  careful  writer  said  of  him,  that  he  was  "widely 


DR.   WHITAKER'S  ADDRESS.  33 

known  as  a  man  of  high  character  and  stern  integrity." 
"Always  scholarly,  polished  and  graceful  in  his  utterances, 
with  the  manners  of  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  there  are 
few  more  agreeable  speakers  at  the  capitol  than  Mr.  Ogden. 
His  ideas  are  sound,  practical  and  healthy,  the  fruit  of  a  varied 
experience  and  a  cultured  and  well-balanced  mind.  The 
second  district  of  Kings  county  never  had  a  better  or  a  more 
efficient  representative  at  Albany." 

Ephraim  Sayre,  who  represented  this  church  at  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Presbytery  in  1713,  was  probably  a  relative,  and 
perhaps  the  father,  of  Ananias  Sayre,  the  Sheriff  of  the  county 
and  one  of  its  chief  men  forty  years  later. 

In  1714,  Joseph  Seeley  appeared  in  the  Presbytery  with  the 
Rev.  Howell  Powell,  and  succeeded  in  making  arrangements 
for  the  settlement  of  this  minister  as  the  bishop  of  this  church. 
Joseph  Seeley  was  the  ancestor  of  one  of  our  best  and  greatest 
families,  including  Col.  Ephraim  Seeley,  the  father  of  Judge 
Ephraim  Seeley ;  Col.  Enos  Seeley,  Ebenezer  Seeley,  Clerk  of 
the  county ;  Elias  P.  Seeley,  Governor  of  the  State ;  Samuel 
Seeley,  Clerk  of  the  county ;  Enos  Seeley,  Clerk  of  the  county, 
and  the  present  venerable  Samuel  Ward  Seeley. 

Jonathan  Fithian  was  the  Elder  who  represented  this 
church  in  the  Synod  in  1741,  when  the  spirit  of  separation 
and  partisanship  divided  that  body,  and  caused  much  alien- 
ation and  strife  in  many  of  the  churches.  We  may  be 
thankful  that  the  Rev.  Daniel  Elmer  and  Elder  Jonathan 
Fithian  took  no  part  in  that  passionate  work. 

A  record  of  October  23,  1759,  contains  the  names  of 
six  Elders  at  that  time,  the  year  after  the  re-union.  These 
are: 

Nathaniel  Diament,  who  died  in  1767,  aged  72  years. 

David  Westcott,  who  died  in  July,  1772,  aged  57  years. 

Joseph  Ogden,  who  died  in  July,  1772,  aged  48  years. 

Moses  Husted,  who  died  in  1772  or  1773. 

Henry  Pierson,  who  died  in  1776. 

Henry  Westcott,  who  died  in  1777. 
3 


34  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

With  these  six  Elders  most  likely  there  was  associated 
Daniel  Elmer,  who  was  certainly  an  Elder  the  next  year,  and 
who  died  May  2,  17G1.  Thus,  in  1759,  the  Session  contained 
at  least  seven  or  eight  Elders  ;  for  Thomas  Ogden,  probably  a 
son  of  John,  the  mill-builder,  and  brother  of  David,  the  mill- 
owner,  continued  alive  and  in  the  Session  as  lately  as  1781. 

On  March  30,  1760,  two  more  were  ordained,  namely  : 

Jonathan  Lawrence,  who  died  on  the  19th  of  February,  1764. 

Joseph  Westcott,  who  died  May  18,  1777. 

Five  years  later,  two  were  ordained,  namely  : 

Joseph  Dayton,  who  died  in  1770,  aged  56  years. 

Robert  Low,  who  died  after  August  25,  17G9. 

Three  were  ordained  February  14,  1771,  namely: 

Ephraim  Harris,  who  died  in  November,  1794,  aged  63  years. 

James  Diament,  who  died  in  1776. 

Isaac  Preston,  who  also  died  in  1776. 

In  December,  1773,  two  were  ordained,  namely : 

John  Bower,  who  was  admitted  to  full  communion  Septem- 
ber 22, 1765,  and  died  after  May  20, 1793,  and  probably  before 
May  1,  1797. 

Eleazer  Smith,  who  also  died  after  May  20,  1793,  and  prob- 
ably before  May  1,  1797. 

There  was,  in  1777,  an  ordination  of  three  persons  who 
were  elected  on  the  18th  of  May,  namely  : 

Levi  Preston,  who  was  admitted  to  full  communion  in  May, 
1762,  and  died  after  1781. 

William  Preston,  who  also  died  later  than  1781. 

.leremiah  Nixon,  who  died  October  11,  1798. 

These  are  all  the  Elders  of  whom  we  have  a  record  at  pres- 
ent who  were  ordained  before  the  settlement  of  the  Rev. 
Ethan  Osborn. 

In  the  deed  of  the  Rev.  Daniel  Elmer  to  the  committee  of 
the  congregation  are  the  names  of  Nathaniel  Whitaker  and 
Jeremiah  Buck,  and  one  of  those  who  signed  the  call  for  the 
Rev.  William  Ramsay  was  Ephraim  Buck. 

Perhaps  the  most  widely  known  laymen  here,  in  the  Rev. 


DR.   WHITAKER'S  ADDRESS.  35 

Thomas  Bridge's  day,  were  Richard  Whitaker  and  Henry 
Buck.  Nathaniel  was  a  grandson  of  this  Richard  Whitaker, 
and  Jeremiah  and  Ephraim  Buck  were  descendants  of  this 
Henry  Buck. 

Richard  Whitaker  came  from  London.  He  was  with  Fen- 
wick  in  Salem,  as  one  of  the  Council  of  the  Proprietors,  in 
1676,  and  he  seems  to  have  continued  in  this  office  until  1702, 
when  the  colonial  government  of  the  crown  was  formed. 
The  first  order  which  it  is  known  that  he  signed  in  Salem  is 
dated  25th  of  4th  month,  1676.  He  and  Elizabeth  Adkin,  of 
AUoways  Creek,  were  married  17th  of  1st  month,  1679,  in 
the  Friends'  log  meeting  house,  at  Salem.  He  moved  wdth  his 
family,  in  1690,  to  the  south  bank  of  the  Cohansey  in  the  part 
now  called  "  Herring  Row."  He  built  a  substantial  dwelling 
of  bricks  made  on  the  place.  It  was  taken  down  less  than 
twenty  years  ago,  when  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  old.  Here  Richard  Whitaker  and  Henry  Buck  were 
active  in  trade  and  commerce  as  well  as  in  agriculture.  They 
traded  directly  with  Boston,  New  York  and  the  West  Indies. 
Their  books,  that  show  the  daily  business  of  the  firm,  give 
the  names  of  many  of  the  people  of  this  township,  and  the 
kinds  and  prices  of  the  goods  sold  here  at  that  time,  includ- 
ing farming  utensils,  hardware,  dry  goods,  clothes,  grocerieSy 
liquors,  and  books,  chiefly  Bibles,  psalm-books  and  school- 
books,  Richard  Whitaker's  descendants  are  very  many  in 
both  South  and  North  Jersey,  in  New  York,  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois  and  other  States.  His  grandson,  Nathaniel,  named 
in  the  deed,  was  the  grandfather  of  Nathaniel,  who  was  the 
father  of  Joel,  Reuel  and  Nathaniel.  Joel  moved  to  Illinois 
in  1833.  His  eldest  son,  Alanson,  is  known  there  as  a  school 
officer,  and  a  worker  in  Sabbath  School  organizations.  His  son, 
Daniel,  was  graduated  at  the  University  of  Rochester,  New 
York,  where  he  also  studied  theology.  He  was  ordained  and 
sailed  as  a  missionary  of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary 
Union,  to  Burmah,  where  he  was  a  most  zealous,  devoted  and 
successful  worker  for  ten  or  fifteen  years,  having  when  he  died 


36  THE   OLD  STONE   CHURCH. 

about  one  hundred  assistants  of  the  Union  under  his  direction. 
Joel's  son,  Ethan  Osborn  Whitaker,  was  ordained,  and  fell  at 
the  front  preaching  the  gospel   near  Yankton,  the  capital  of 
Dakota  Territory.     Reuel's  son,  Clement,  became  an   owner 
and   editor  of  the   Bloomington   Republican,  published  at  the 
county  town  of  Monroe  county,  Indiana,  and  the  seat  of  the 
University  of  the  State — a  paper  whose  very  place  of  publi- 
cation favored  its  extensive  influence.     Another  son  of  Reuel 
is  the  father  of  the  Rev.  William   Force  Whitaker,  who  was 
graduated  at  the    University    of   Pennsylvania,  first  in    his 
class  and  with  the  highest  honors,  in  1873,  and  at  the  Union 
Theological  Seminary,  New  York  City,  in  1876.     He  is  the 
first  pastor  of  the  St.  Cloud  Church,  Orange,  New  Jersey,  of 
which  the  Governor  of  the  State,  Gen.  George  B.  McClellan, 
is  one  of  the  elders.     Reuel  Whitaker's  daughters  are  superior 
to  his  sons.     The  eldest  married  first,  Theophilus  E.  Harris, 
the  Sheriff  of  the  county  from  1848  to   1851,  and  secondly 
Ephraim  H.  Whiticar,  who  was  successively  a  member  of  the 
Assembly  and  of  the  Senate  of  the  State,  and  for  more  than 
one  term  a  Judge  of  the  county.     He   was  for  many  years 
both  an  Elder  and  Trustee  of  this  church,  and  a  very  influ- 
ential officer  in  its  counsels  and  affairs.     His  son,  the  Hon. 
George  Swing    Whiticar,    having,    like    his    father,  served 
in  the  Assembly,  now  represents  the  county  in  the  Senate 
of  the  State  ;  he  is  also  an  Elder  and  a  Trustee  of  this  church. 
Reuel  Whitaker's  second   daughter,  Abigail,  the  most  intel- 
lectual  of    his   ten    children,   never    married.      The    other 
daughter,  Harriet,  was  graduated  at  Mount  Holyoke  Seminary, 
in  1853,  and  in  1860  became  tlie  wife  of  Johnson  P.  Clark,  a 
native  of  Watertown,  New  York,  and  Professor  in   Irving 
College,  Tennessee.     Reuel  Whitaker  married,  March   28th, 
1810,  Sarah,  the  eldest  daughter  of  John  Westcott,  Esq.     She 
has  the  signal  honor  of  being  the  only  woman  in  the  town- 
ship now  in  her  ninety-first  year  ;  and  the  supreme  joy  of  the 
speaker,  in  this  service  of  his  fellow-townsmen,  is  that  it  per- 
mits him  to  speak  her  praise. 


DE.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  37 

Henry  Buck,  of  the  old  firm  of  Wliitaker  &  Buck,  came  to 
this  place  from  Wethersfield,  Connecticut,  about  1692.  His 
father,  Henry,  there  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John 
Churchill,  and  they  had  eight  children.  Dudley  Buck,  the 
foremost  musical  composer  of  the  new  world,  is  one  of  their 
posterity.  Henry  Buck's  descendant,  the  Ephraim  Buck  who 
signed  Mr.  Ramsay's  call,  m.arried  Judith  Nixon.  They  had 
six  children.  The  eldest  Was  Joseph,  born  May  1st,  1753. 
He  entered  the  revolutionary  army  as  ensign  in  1779,  two 
years  later  was  made  lieutenant,  and  when  the  war  ended  he 
was  captain  by  brevet.  He  soon  after  married  Ruth,  daughter 
of  Col.  Enos  Seeley,  father  of  Ebenezer,  who  was  Clerk  of  the 
county  nearly  twenty  years,  from  1814  to  1833;  this  Ebenezer 
being  the  father  of  Elias  P.  Seeley,  Governor  of  the  State,  and 
of  Enos  Seeley,  Clerk  of  the  county  in  1842.  Mr.  Buck  was 
elected  Sheriff  four  years  after  the  close  of  the  war,  and  filled 
the  office  three  years.  He  was  one  of  the  most  enterprising 
men  in  the  county.  He  founded  and  named  Millville,  but 
died  in  the  midst  of  his  days  and  of  his  plans  to  create  there 
somewhat  such  a  city  as  Millville  is  to-day.  He  left  a 
remarkable  family  of  children.  John,  born  April  1st,  1784, 
was  elected  Sheriff  of  the  county  before  he  was  twenty-five 
years  old.  His  sister  Jane  having  married  Daniel  P.  Stratton, 
and  his  sister  Hannah,  Nathan  L.  Stratton,  these  three  men 
formed  in  Bridgeton  the  firm  of  Buck  &  Stratton,  which 
remained  substantially  the  same  until  Mr.  Buck's  death,  in 
1842.  It  was  for  a  generation  the  chief  mercantile  house  in 
South  Jersey.  One  fact  tells  the  whole  story  of  their 
character.  About  forty  years  ago,  their  promissory  notes  for 
fractions  of  a  dollar,  issued  for  change  in  the  absence  of  silver, 
though  paying  no  interest,  were  hoarded  by  the  people  until 
they  had  been  put  forth  to  the  amount  of  twenty  thousand 
dollars — a  large  sum  in  this  county  forty  years  ago.  Mr. 
Buck's  eldest  daughter  married  William  S.  Bowen,  M.  D.,  a 
prosperous  ph^^sician  of  Bridgeton,  one  of  whose  sons  is  John 
Buck    Bowen,  who  received   his  degree  of  M.   D.   from  the 


38  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1861,  and  who  held  the  rank 
of  Assistant  Surgeon  in  the  U.  S.  Army  in  18G2,  and  was  the 
Surgeon  of  the  34th  Regiment  of  N.  J.  Volunteers  in  1863 
and  1864,  until  he  resigned  and  commenced  his  skillful  and 
beneficent  practice  in  Bridgeton. 

Joseph  Buck's  son  Ephraim  received  his  medical  diploma 
from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  became  a  well- 
known  and  skillful  physician,  and  an  unselfish  and  active 
Christian. 

Joseph  Buck's  daughter  Sarah  married,  first,  John  Bower 
Ogden,  and  after  his  death,  Henry  Sheppard.  She  was  the 
mother  of  the  late  Col.  Henry  Sheppard,  of  Springfield,  Mis- 
souri, and  of  Dr.  Joseph  Sheppard,  Bridgeton. 

Joseph  Buck's  daughter  Jane  married  Daniel  P.  Stratton, 
and  was  the  mother  of  the  Rev.  James  Stratton,  of  Jackson, 
Louisiana,  and  of  the  late  Rev.  Daniel  Stratton,  of  Salem,  New 
Jersey.  The  late  Rev.  Wallace  H.  Stratton,  of  Louisiana,  and 
Rev.  William  M.  Stratton,  of  Missouri,  are  sons  of  the  Rev. 
James  Stratton. 

Joseph  Buck's  daughter  Hannah  married  Nathan  L.  Strat- 
ton, and  was  the  mother  of  Rev.  Joseph  Buck  Stratton,  D.  D., 
who  has  been  the  eminent  pastor  of  the  church  of  Natchez 
for  the  last  thirty-seven  years,  as  he  is  now.  He  is  the  head 
of  the  delegation  from  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
the  great  Alliance,  meeting  this  week,  in  Philadelphia.  She 
was  also  the  mother  of  Charles  P.  Stratton,  of  Camden,  who 
is  among  the  foremost  lawyers  of  New  Jersey. 

Ephraim  and  Judith  Buck's  son  Jeremiah  married  Sarah 
Holmes.  They  had  eight  children.  One  of  them,  Robert 
Shute  Buck,  was  elected  Sheriff  of  the  county  when  he  was 
twenty-three  years  old.  His  cousin  John's  election  at  twenty- 
four  seems  marvelous ;  and  his  election  at  twenty-three 
appears  almost  incredible ;  but  many  here  may  remember 
that  it  took  place  in  1825.  This  young  man  married  Caroline 
James,  and  the  marriage  led  to  his  connection  with  the  Cum- 
berland Nail  and  Iron  Works.  The  history  of  her  family,  as 
well  as  his  own,  is  full  of  interest. 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  39 

Another  son  of  our  Jeremiah  Buck  was  Francis  Nixon 
Buck.  As  a  gentleman  of  taste  and  refinement,  and  a  mer- 
chant of  enterprise  and  integrity,  he  held  for  several  years 
the  chief  place  in  a  large  mercantile  house  in  Philadelphia. 

During  the  revolutionary  period,  and  for  many  years  there- 
after, the  most  influential  family  of  this  congregation  were  the 
posterity  of  the  Rev.  Daniel  Elmer.  His  son  Theophilus, 
born  the  year  of  his  father's  installation,  was  the  Sheriff"  of 
the  county  from  17G6  to  1769,  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in 
1772,  active  in  the  Council  of  Safety  for  the  county  during 
most  of  the  war,  and  in  the  Upper  House  of  the  Legislature 
in  1776  and  1782.  He  was  specially  active  in  building  this 
house.  He  lived  to  worship  in  it  three  years  only,  for  he 
died  in  the  midst  of  his  usefulness,  August  1,  1783. 

The  Rev.  Daniel  Elmer's  youngest  son  by  his  first  wife  was 
Theodorus.  Through  his  offspring  he  has  bestowed  many 
and  rich  gifts  of  God  upon  his  native  place;  for  they  include, 
according  to  the  most  competent  authority,  "  most  of  those 
bearing  the  family  name  now  residing  in  Fairfield,"  among 
them  one  of  the  present  Elders  of  the  church,  who  is  also  the 
superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  School,  Mr.  James  H.  Elmer. 

In  the  revolutionary  period  our  chief  man,  the  most  influ- 
•ential  in  the  county  and  in  South  Jersey,  was  Jonathan  Elmer, 
a  son  of  the  eldest  son  of  the  minister.  He  was  born  Novem- 
ber 29,  1745.  His  father  died  when  he  was  sixteen  years  of 
age,  but  he  continued  his  studies  under  the  instructions  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Ramsay.  He  was  graduated  a  doctor  of  medicine 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1771,  and  elected  the 
next  year  a  member  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society. 
He  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine,  and  his  practice  soon 
•extended  beyond  the  county.  He  quickly  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  political  affairs,  raised  a  military  company,  was  active 
in  the  Committee  of  Vigilance,  entered  the  Provincial  Con- 
gress in  1776  and  was  a  member  of  the  committee  that  formed 
the  first  constitution  of  the  State.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
National  Congress  during  most  of  the  Revolution,  and  was  a 


40  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

Medical  Inspector  of  the  Army.  After  the  establishment  of 
independence  he  was  two  years  in  the  National  House  of 
Representatives  ;  and  then,  in  1789,  he  was  elected  to  be  a 
Senator  of  the  United  States.  He  became  an  intelligent 
lawyer,  and  for  many  years,  until  near  the  close  of  his  life,  he 
was  the  presiding  Judge  of  the  county  court  of  common  pleas. 
He  was  the  Clerk  of  the  county  from  1776  to  1789,  and  Surro- 
gate from  1784  to  1802.  He  was  a  member  of  the  higher 
branch  of  the  State  Legislature  in  1780  and  in  1784,  President 
of  the  State  Medical  Society  in  1787,  ordained  a  Ruling  Elder 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  1799.  He  resigned  his  Judge- 
ship in  1814.  He  died  September  3,  1817.  The  foundation 
of  his  greatness  and  worth  were  in  a  great  measure  laid  by 
the  instructions  which  he  received  from  the  ministers  of  God's 
word,  the  faithful  pastors  of  this  church. 

He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Col.  Ephraim  Seeley,  in  1769. 
His  youngest  son,  William,  became  the  most  eminent  of  his 
children.  This  son  was  graduated  a  doctor  of  medicine  in 
1811,  and  the  next  year  commenced  practice  in  Bridgeton. 
After  the  death  of  his  father,  he  gave  himself  chiefly  to  the 
management  of  his  estate,  the  improvement  of  agriculture 
and  stock,  and  various  enterprises  for  the  public  welfare.  He 
died  May  6,  1836,  aged  48  years.  He  was  twice  married — 
first  in  1812,  to  Nancy  B.  Potter,  daughter  of  Col.  David 
Potter,  whose  wife  was  a  daughter  of  our  excellent  Mrs.  Mary 
Boyd.  Mrs.  Elmer  lived  four  years  after  her  marriage  and 
was  the  mother  of  three  children.  Dr.  Elmer  married,  in 
1819,  her  sister,  Margaret  K.  Potter,  who  also  bore  him  three 
children.  His  four  sons  are,  1,  Jonathan  ;  2,  Dr.  William,  the 
father  of  Drs.  William,  Jr.,  and  Henry  W.  Elmer ;  3,  David 
Potter  Elmer  ;  and  4,  Benjamin  Franklin  Elmer.  One  of  his 
daughters  married  Charles  E.  Elmer,  Esq.,  and  the  other 
Hon.  W.  G.  Whitely,  of  Delaware. 

The  Rev.  Daniel  Elmer's  eldest  son  was  the  father  of 
Timothy,  born  in  1748,  who  served  in  the  revolutionary 
army,  was  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  in  1779  and  1780. 


DR.   WHITAKER'S  ADDRESS.  41 

He  died  a  faithful  Christian  May  16, 1780.  He  married  Mary 
Dayton  and  they  had  two  sons,  Timothy  and  Oliver.  Timothy 
was  born  in  1773.  He  was  elected  Sheriff  of  the  county  in 
1805.  He  served  in  the  Legislature.  He  was  the  Surrogate 
of  the  county  from  1815  until  his  death  in  1836.  He  mar- 
ried, in  1807,  Ruth,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Bennett,  Sheriff  of 
the  county.  She  died  September  8,  1859.  They  had  ten 
children,  the  youngest  but  one  being  Joseph  H.  Elmer,  of 
Bridgeton,  United  States  Collector  of  the  Port. 

The  Rev.  Daniel  Elmer's  eldest  son  was  the  father  of  Gen. 
Ebenezer  Elmer,  the  youngest  son  of  his  parents.  No  wor- 
thier name  adorns  our  history.  He  was  born  August  23d, 
1752,  seven  years  younger  than  his  celebrated  brother.  Dr. 
Jonathan  Elmer,  but  a  fit  associate  in  toil  and  fame.  He 
grew  up  in  the  genial  and  healthy  atmosphere  of  this 
church,  and  became  early,  according  to  his  own  record,  a 
"believer  in  the  gospel  plan  of  redemption  by  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ."  His  father  died  when  he  was  nine  years 
old.  He  was  subsequently  taught  by  his  mother.  He 
attended  no  other  than  an  evening  school  but  one  quarter 
until  he  reached  manhood.  Then  he  learned,  one  autumn? 
navigation  of  John  Westcott.  He  studied  medicine  with  his 
brother  two  years.  He  was  now  twenty-three  years  old  and 
1776  had  come.  He  entered  the  army  in  January,  1776,  as  an 
ensign.  His  captain  was  Joseph  Bloomfield,  who  was  after- 
wards Governor  of  the  State.  He  soon  became  a  lieutenant. 
He  served  more  than  a  year  and  then  declined  promotion  in 
the  line,  and  accepted  a  commission  as  Assistant  Surgeon  to 
Dr.  Lewis  Howell,  his  fellow  student  in  his  brother's  office, 
and  twin  brother  of  Richard  Howell,  who  became  Governor 
of  the  State.  A  few  days  before  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  Dr. 
Howell  was  seized  with  fever  and  died  near  the  field  of  battle, 
and  on  the  day  of  it.  His  assistant  succeeded  him  as  surgeon 
of  the  regiment,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war — the 
whole  period  of  his  service  being  seven  years  and  eight 
months. 


42  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

He  now  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  this 
county  ;  but  he  did  not  entirely  leave  the  public  service.  He 
was  a  member  of  both  houses  of  the  Legislature  in  succession, 
presiding  in  each,  also  a  member  of  Congress  for  six  years 
from  ISOl  to  1806.  He  was  the  Collector  of  the  customs  for 
this  part  of  the  State,  and  the  Clerk  and  the  Surrogate  of  the 
county  several  years,  as  well  as  the  Judge  of  the  county.  In 
1804  he  was  appointed  the  Adjutant  General  of  the  State,  and 
in  1806  the  General  of  the  Cumberland  Brigade.  During 
the  war  of  1812-14  he  commanded  a  brigade  employed  to 
defend  Philadelphia  ;  and  he  was  thenceforth  well  known  as 
Gen.  Elmer.  In  1818  he  took  the  chief  part  in  organizing 
the  County  Medical  Society,  was  chosen  its  first  President,  and 
held  the  office  several  years.  He  entered  the  full  communion 
of  the  church  in  1825,  and  established  the  first  Sabbath 
School  in  the  county.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  and  for 
many  years  the  President  of  the  County  Bible  Society.  He 
was  in  many  elements  of  his  character,  as  well  as  in  many 
activities  of  his  life,  a  great  and  most  excellent  man.  In 
manifold  ways  he  brought  forth  fruit  in  old  age. 

Indulgence  must  here  be  craved  for  a  few  words  of  personal 
reference.  When,  in  1843,  the  duty  of  preparing  for  the 
gospel  ministry  was  urged  upon  the  speaker,  consultation 
was  held  with  a  few  persons  on  the  subject,  especially  with  the 
late  Francis  G.  Brewster,  of  Bridgeton.  The  result  was  a 
visit  to  Gen.  Elmer.  He  was  alone,  in  his  own  parlor.  The 
crown  of  more  than  four  score  and  ten  years  rested  upon  his 
large  and  shapely  head.  His  physical  powers  were  feeble ; 
but  his  intellect  was  sound  and  clear,  and  his  sensibilities 
responsive  and  generous.  The  visitor  was  received  with  a 
patriarchal  dignity,  which  did  not  surpass  the  genial  affability 
and  kindness  of  this  aged  man.  Gen.  Elmer  had  known  his 
visitor  slightly  for  several  years,  as  a  youth  who  had  now  grown 
up  to  manhood  in  the  town,  and  as  a  member  of  the  same 
church  with  himself.  He  deliberately  and  most  courteously 
drew  out  the  experiences  and  sentiments  as  well  as  the  incli- 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  43 

nations  and  habits  of  his  visitor,  and  then  paternally  advised 
his  young  friend  and  brother  to  begin  the  needful  prepara- 
tion. 

There  was  no  further  consultation  on  the  subject  with  any 
person.     The  advice  of  Gen.  Elmer  was  decisive. 

He  was  at  this  time  a  man  of  medium  size.  His  hair  was 
not  white,  but  gray,  flowing  and  abundant.  His  forehead  was 
broad,  high  and  erect,  jutting  somewhat  over  the  eyes,  and 
thin  cheeks.  The  nose  was  handsome,  finely  moulded,  not 
specially  prominent,  and  symmetrical  in  both  shape  and 
length.  The  eyes,  though  showing  age  and  slightly  dim, 
were  mild  and  expressive.  The  cheeks  had  not  only  lost 
their  fullness ;  they  were  also  pale.  The  lips  were  thin  and 
drawn  somewhat  inward,  the  teeth  being  absent.  The  chin 
was  square  and  firm,  but  not  unduly  broad.  The  voice  was 
gentle  and  tremulous.  The  whole  figure,  seated  in  an  arm 
chair,  and  wearing  a  citizen's  dress,  made  of  dark  gray  cloth, 
and  easy  in  size  and  style,  with  slippers  upon  the  feet,  and 
walking-stick  within  reach  of  the  hand,  presented  a  charming 
picture  of  old  age,  intelligence,  dignity,  contentment,  kindness 
and  piety. 

His  life  on  earth  closed  about  six  months  later,  October  18, 
1843,  in  his  ninety-second  year.  His  funeral  was  celebrated 
in  the  Old  Church  at  Bridgeton,  and  his  contemporary  and 
intimate  friend,  the  Rev.  Ethan  Osborn,  our  Fairfield  pas- 
tor, preached  an  appropriated  sermon  from  the  following 
most  appropriate  text:  Matt.  25:21.  "His  Lord  said  unto 
him.  Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant,  thou  hast 
been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler  over 
many  things  ;  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

Gen.  Elmer  married,  in  1784,  Hannah  Seeley,  a  sister  of 
his  brother  Jonathan's  wife,  and  a  daughter  of  Col.  Ephraim 
Seeley,  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  wealthy  citizens  of 
the  county.  Children  were  born  to  them  :  Lucius  Quintius 
Cincinnatus  and  Sarah  Smith.  The  latter  married  the  Rev. 
William  Neill,  who  was  graduated  at  the  College  of  New 
Jersey  in  1803,  received  the  degree  of   D.  D.  from  Union 


44  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

College,  was  president  of  Dickinson  College,  president  of  the 
Trustees  of  the  General  Assembly,  director  of  the  Princeton 
Theological  Seminary,  pastor  of  the  First  Church  of  Albany 

and Church  of  Philadelphia,  and  successively  Stated 

Clerk  and  Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly. 

There  is  no  need  of  a  word  here  in  respect  to  L,  Q.  C. 
Elmer,  who  was  born  in  1793,  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1815, 
elected  a  director  of  Princeton  College  in  1829  and  continued 
in  the  office  for  many  years,  member  of  Congress  from  1843 
to  1845,  chosen  Attorney-General  of  the  State  in  1850,  and 
Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  1851.  He  held  this  posi- 
tion with  great  honor  for  a  long  term  of  years.  About  forty 
years  since,-  he  published  a  complete  digest  of  the  statute 
laws  of  the  State  with  indexes  and  notes,  a  work  of  immense 
professional  learning  and  research,  demanding  also  the 
keenest  discrimination  and  the  soundest  judgment.  Several 
new  editions,  edited  by  his  son-in-law.  Judge  Nixon,  have 
been  from  time  to  time  demanded.  His  history  of  Cumber- 
land is  the  chief  source  of  all  our  knowledge  of  the  county. 
His  portraits  of  the  Bench  and  the  Bar  of  New  Jersey,  like  the 
works  of  the  Old  Masters,  will  increase  in  value  with  their 
increasing  age.  For  a  half  century  past.  South  Jersey  has 
contained  not  his  peer  in  erudition.  When  he  has  finished 
his  illustrious  career  on  earth  and  gone  late  to  heaven,  let 
some  skillful  hand  fitly  portray  his  life,  character  and  worth, 
and  set  forth  the  generous  and  benign  contributions  which 
he  has  made  to  the  welfare  of  the  past,  present  and  future 
generations  of  men. 

One  more  of  these  Fairfield  Elmers  must  be  named, Daniel, 
fifth  in  direct  line  from  the  pastor.  The  mother  of  this 
Daniel  was  Esther  Thompson.  He  was  born  September  30, 
1784.  His  father  died  when  this  eldest  of  several  children 
was  nine  years  of  age.  His  mother  entrusted  him  to  Gen. 
Elmer  with  whom  he  lived  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  began  to  study  law  with  Gen.  James  Giles.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1805,  as  soon  as  his  age  would  permit. 


DR.   WHITAKER'S  ADDRESS.  45 

according  to  the  law  of  the  State.  His  prosperous  and  honor- 
able career  at  the  bar  for  thirty-six  j^ears  was  crowned  by  his 
elevation  to  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court.  While  filling 
this  Judgeship  he  was  elected  in  the  Spring  of  1844  a  member 
of  the  Convention  to  form  the  new  constitution  of  the  State. 
He  was  a  very  active  and  prominent  member.  While  thus  in 
his  greatest  usefulness,  he  suffered  a  partial  paralysis.  In 
January,  1845,  he  resigned  his  Judgeship  and  withdrew  from 
public  affairs.  He  was  intelligent,  wise,  prompt,  unwearied, 
resolute,  and  as  full  of  real  kindness  as  of  courtesy  and 
courage.  He  made  the  impression  which  is  imprinted  upon 
the  heart  and  mind  by  an  upright,  vigorous,  noble,  decisive 
and  faithful  man.  As  he  studied  his  profession  under  Gen. 
Giles,  so  he  succeeded  him  as  President  of  the  Cumberland 
Bank,  and  held  the  place  for  twenty-five  years,  until  he  became 
Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court.  He  was  a  devout  Christian,  with 
an  intelligent  preference  for  the  faith  and  order  of  the  church 
of  his  fathers,  into  whose  full  communion  he  was  admitted 
when  in  the  height  of  his  power  and  fame,  and  in  whose 
membership  he  died  July  3,  1848. 

In  1808  he  married  Martha,  daughter  of  Col.  David  Potter. 
His  only  surviving  son  is  Charles  E.  Elmer,  Esq.,  well-known 
throughout  the  county  and  prominent  in  the  civil  affairs  of 
the  State.  Judge  Daniel  Elmer's  only  daughter,  Martha 
Potter,  married  John  Curwen,  who  was  born  in  Lower  Merion 
township,  Montgomery  county,  Pennsylvania,  September  20, 
1821,  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1841,  received  the  degree 
of  M.  D.  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1844,  and  of 
LL.  D  at  Jefferson  College,  in  1862.  He  has  been  the  Physi- 
cian and  Superintendent  of  the  Lunatic  Asylum  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, at  Harrisburg,  since  about  1850.  He  is  a  descendant 
of  John  Curwen,  of  Keswick,  Cumberland  county,  England, 
who  came  to  Philadelphia  and  settled  there  in  1784. 

Four  years  after  Daniel  Elmer,  the  Judge,  was  born,  the 
Rev.  Ethan  Osborn  came  to  this  place.  He  was  installed 
the  pastor  of  this  church,  December  3,  1789, 


46  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

His  call  was  presented  in  this  original  and  characteristic 
form  : 

"  '  To  Mr.  Eathan  Ozburn. 

Sir. — We  the  Subscribers,  Members  of  the  Presbyterian 
congregation  of  Fairfield  in  the  County  Cumberland,  and 
State  of  New  Jersey,  having  been  for  sometime  passed  Deste- 
tute  of  the  Stated  Means  of  Grace  the  Preaching  of  the  word 
of  God  among  us  do  most  Sincerely  lement  the  loss  of  so 
Great  a  blessing,  and  desire  to  bewail  over  our  sins  which  has 
provoked  the  Lord  to  strip  us  of  those  privileges  we  have  so 
long  enjoyed  in  time  passed  and  too  much  abused  and  being 
Deeply  affected  with  this  our  bereaved  situation  would  most 
humbly  implore  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  all  Events,  and  head 
of  the  Church  so  to  Dispose  the  hearts  of  this  people  that 
truly  repenting  of  their  Sins  and  returning  unto  God  he 
would  graciously  return  unto  us  and  Grant  the  Settlement  of 
the  Gospel  in  this  place  Again. — 

And  Sir  haveing  had  the  oppertunity  of  Some  Personal 
Acquaintance  with  and  frequently  hearing  you  preach,  have 
upon  the  Most  Mature  Deliberation  Unanimously  agreed  to 
Call  and  invite  you  to  Come  and  take  the  Charge  of  this 
Church  and  Congregation  :  and  Cannot  but  Entertain  pleas- 
ing hopes  that  Devine  providence  has  Desined  you  for  this 
part  of  his  Vineyard  in  as  Much  as  he  has  inclined  the  hearts 
of  this  people  to  Unite  in  this  Call. — 

and  for  incoragement  in  a  temporal  respect  and  for  the 
support  of  yourself  and  family  we  do  hereby  promis  and 
ingage  for  our  selves  that  if  you  should  Come  among  us  as 
our  pastor  that  you  Shall  have  the  whole  Use  of  the  Passonage 
in  this  place  of  one  Hundred  and  fifty  Acres  of  Land,  with 
the  houses  and  Buildings  and  improvements  thereon  all  put 
in  Good  Tennantable  repair,  and  likewise  will  pay  unto  you 
or  to  your  Order  Yearly  and  Every  Year,  while  you  Continue 
our  Minister  at  the  Rate  of  One  Hundred  pounds  per  annum, 
Gold   or  Silver,  and  do  Every  thing  in  our  power  to  make 


DR.   WHITAKER'S  ADDRESS.  47 

your  Situation  among  us  as  Comfortable  and  easy  as  poss- 
ble.— 

and  again,  Sir,  we  beg  leave  most  Earnestly  to  Solicit  and 
intreat  you  to  Except  this  our  call  and  invitation  to  Come 
and  take  the  pastoral  Charge  of  this  Congregation  ;  you  Know 
our  Destitute  State,  and  are  acquainted  in  some  Measure  with 
the  Dispositions  and  tempers  of  the  people,  we  must  therefore 
leave  it  to  your  own  consideration,  and  most  Sincerely  pray 
that  God  May  Direct  you  in  your  Deliberations  thereon,  and 
incline  you  to  Determine  in  Such  a  Manner  as  may  be  most 
for  his  Glory  and  the  Good  of  Church  in  General — 

Witness  our  hands  this  Twenty-fourth  Day  of  March  one 
Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Eighty-Nine.' 

Signed  by  one  hundred  and  four  persons,  including,  appar- 
ently, all  the  male  members  of  the  congregation." 

See  Presbyterian  Journal,  Philadelphia,  September  7,  1876. 

The  story  of  his  most  remarkable  and  worthy  life  and 
ministry  is  well  told  in  the  volume  on  "  the  Pastor  of  the  old 
Stone  Church,"  by  his  immediate  successor  in  the  pastoral 
office  here,  the  Rev.  Beriah  B.  Hotchkin,  D.  D.,  whose  pen  is 
equally  graceful  and  accurate.  It  is  as  unnecessary  here  to- 
day as  it  is  impossible  to  rehearse  the  story  of  Father  Osborn's 
honorable  and  saintly  course  through  the  hundred  years  that 
he  lived  from  1758  to  1858.  The  singular  goodness,  beauty, 
wisdom,  uprightness,  fruitfulness,  and  continuance  of  his 
career,  has  no  parallel  perhaps  in  the  annals  of  the  American 
pulpit.  The  Future  will  take  care  of  his  fame  ;  and  of  him 
we  may  safely  say  :  "the  righteous  shall  be  in  everlasting 
remembrance."  Indeed,  we  have  never  known  another  person 
so  fit  as  the  Rev.  Ethan  Osborn  to  represent  the  ideal  man 
outlined  in  the  112th  Psalm.  It  would  require  a  volume  to 
complete  the  sketch,  and  we  must  forbear,  however  attractive 
the  theme,  in  order  to  say  a  few  words  respecting  some  of 
the  men  who  enjoyed  his  ministry  or  were  the  fruits  of  it ; 
and  first  let  us  name  the  Elders  who  were  then  in  office,  and 
those  who  have  since  been  ordained. 


48  THE   OLD  STONE   CHURCH. 

In  Mr.  Osborn's  "  Half  Century  Sermon,"  as  irrinted,  he 
names  Ephraim  Harris,  Jeremiah  Bower,  Jeremiah  Nixon 
and  Levi  Stratton.  Doubtless  the  names  should  be  Ephraim 
Harris,  Eleazer  Smith,  John  Bower  and  Jeremiah  Nixon. 

In  1790  five  were  ordained,  namely  : 

Levi  Stratton,  who  had  been  admitted  to  the  full  com- 
munion twelve  years  previously,  and  who  died  February 
16th,  1792,  aged  49  years. 

John  Thomas  Hampton,  M.  D.,  baptized  June  1, 1780,  died 
September  29th,  1794,  aged  42  years. 

Amos  Westcott,  admitted  to  full  communion  December  2d, 
1781,  died  July  2d,  1815. 

Jedediah  Ogden. 

Jeremiah  Harris,  who  died  January  21st,  1812. 

Four  were  ordained  April  30,  1797,  namely  : 

William  Bateman,  admitted  to  full  communion  December 
20,  1778;  died  December  18,  1835,  in  his  eighty-sixth  year. 
He  was  many  years  a  deacon. 

Norton  Lawrence,  admitted  to  full  communion  May  13, 
1783 ;  died  February  5,  1805. 

Thomas  Burch  ;  died  July  26,  1812. 

Joseph  Ogden,  admitted  to  full  communion  May  13,  1783  ; 
died  February  6,  1806. 

Two  were  ordained  April  10,  1803,  namely : 

John  Ogden,  admitted  to  full  communion  May  20,  1798 ; 
died  June  27  or  28,  1832,  aged  77. 

David  Harris,  admitted  to  full  communion  October  20, 
1799 ;  died  November  20,  1823. 

Four  were  ordained  January  1,  1813  : 

Thomas  Harris,  admitted  to  the  full  communion  October 
20,  1799  ;  died  March  3,  1825. 

Henry  Howell,  admitted  to  full  communion  August  31, 
1806  ;  died  September  13,  1824. 

Daniel  Burt,  a  deacon,  admitted  to  full  communion  April 
1,  1810,  dismissed  with  others  to  form  the  First  Church  of 
Cedarville. 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  49 

John  Howell,  admitted  to  full  communion  December  3, 
1809,  dismissed  to  form  the  First  Church  of  Cedarville. 

Ephraim  Westcott,  admitted  to  the  full  communion  Decem- 
ber, 1807,  and  ordained  in  December,  1818.  He  died  April  22, 
1848,  aged  72. 

Three  were  ordained  July  10,  1825. 

Nathaniel  Diament,  admitted  to  full  communion  April  7th, 
1811. 

Burgin  Bateman,  admitted  to  full  communion  August  6, 
1820  ;  moved  to  Illinois  in  1833. 

Ephraim  Bateman,  M.  D.,  admitted  to  full  communion 
April  5,  1810  ;  died  January  28,  1829. 

Three  were  ordained  April  6,  1833. 

Asa  Fish,  admitted  to  full  communion  December  7,  1806; 
dismissed  to  First  Church,  Cedarville,  in  1841. 

Ephraim  H.  Whiticar,  admitted  to  the  full  communion 
April  1,  1827,  died  May  23,  1879,  aged  81  years. 

Nathaniel  Howell,  admitted  to  the  full  communion,  De- 
cember 3,  1809  ;  died  August  18,  1868. 

About  1844,  John  Holmes  was  ordained.  August  11,  1847, 
he  was  dismissed  to  the  First  Church  of  Bridgeton. 

Three  were  ordained  July  11,  1847. 

Theophilus  Trenchard,  dismissed  to  one  of  the  Bridgeton 
churches,  March  6,  1869. 

Joseph  Campbell,  admitted  to  full  communion  April  5, 
1840  ;  dismissed  October  10,  1849. 

Joseph  F.  .Jaggers,  admitted  to  full  communion  April  5, 
1837  ;  dismissed  May  5,  1870. 

Three  were  ordained  in  March,  1867. 

George  S.  Whiticar,  baptized  and  admitted  to  full  com- 
munion March  2,  1851. 

Theophilus  Tomlinson,  admitted  to  full  communion  March 
2,  1851. 

Samuel  H.  Williams,  admitted  to  full  communion  March 
2,  1851. 

Two  were  ordained  March  7,  1880  : 
4 


50  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

Elias  W.  Bateman,  baptized  and  admitted  to  full  com- 
munion December  3,  1842. 

James  H.  Elmer,  baptized  and  admitted  to  full  com- 
munion March  7,  1858. 

These  Elders  form  a  goodly  company.  Three  of  them 
have  been  Diaments.  A  son  of  one  of  them  is  the  Rev. 
Jeremiah  Nixon  Diament,  son  of  Nathaniel  Diament  and  his 
wife,  Ruth  Nixon.  He  was  graduated  at  Middlebury  College 
in  1856,  and  at  Auburn  Theological  Seminary  in  1860; 
ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  Upsonville,  Pa.,  in  1861, 
and  his  present  address  is  Grant  Post-office,  Indiana  county, 
Pa.  His  sister  Lizzie,  under  our  own  Board,  is  a  missionary 
among  our  Indians ;  his  sister  Naomi,  under  the  American 
Board,  is  a  missionary  in  China  ;  his  sister  Mary  L.  is  the 
wife  of  the  Rev.  James  Ross  Ramsey,  a  missionary  of  our 
own  Board  at  Wewoka,  Indian  Territory ;  his  wife  is  a 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  William  Hamilton,  of  the  Indian 
Mission  of  Belle  View,  Nebraska.  This  old  Huguenot  blood 
has  not  lost  its  virtue. 

It  is  only  the  Ogdens  and  the  Westcotts  that  have  given 
us  more  Elders  than  the  Batemans.  Of  these  Batemans  the 
most  eminent  was  Ephraim  Bateman,  born  Jul}''  9,  1780. 
He  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Jonathan  Elmer  and  in  the 
University  of  Peansylvania,  and  practiced  extensively  in  this 
township  and  Downe,  from  1803  to  1813,  when  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  Legislature.  In  the  same  year  he  was 
admitted  to  the  full  communion  of  this  church.  He  was  a 
member  of  Congress  from  1815  to  1823 — eight  years.  In 
1826  he  was  elected  to  the  upper  house  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, and  subsequently  chosen  its  presiding  officer.  While 
in  this  office  he  was  elected  to  the  U.  S.  Senate.  It  was  at 
the  close  of  his  eight  years  course  in  the  U.  S.  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives that  he  was  elected  an  Elder  of  this  church.  He 
died  January  28,  1829,  in  his  49th  year. 

His  son,  B.  Rush  Bateman,  born  March  7,  1807,  studied 
medicine  with  his  father,  was  graduated  at  Jefferson  Medical 


nn.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  51 

College  in  1829,  and  admitted  to  the  full  communion  of  this 
church  the  same  year.  lie  has  had  an  extensive  and  honor- 
able practice  for  more  than  half  a  century,  his  diploma 
having  an  earlier  date  than  any  other  registered  under  the 
recently  enacted  State  law.  He  has  given  the  County  Medi- 
cal Society  his  valuable  services,  like  his  father,  as  President, 
and  also  as  Treasurer  and  contributor  of  special  papers  pre- 
served in  its  archives,  two  of  these  being  his  own  interesting 
reminiscences.  His  richer  gifts  to  the  profession  are  two 
sons,  and  of  one  of  these  it  is  permitted  to  speak  freely. 

Robert  Morrison  Bateman,  son  of  Dr.  B.  Rush  Bateman 
and  his  first  wife,  Sarah  Ann  Ogden,  was  born  September  14, 
183G,  and  received  at  his  baptism  the  name  of  Morrison  from 
the  Missionary  to  China.  He  was  dedicated  to  the  ministry. 
Before  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age  he  was  admitted  to  full 
communion  in  the  First  Church  of  Cedarville,  February  24, 
1850.  Four  years  later,  he  entered  the  College  of  New  Jer- 
sey, where  he  studied  three  years  and  then  left  in  consequence 
of  impaired  health,  and  for  the  same  reason  abandoned  the 
purpose  of  the  ministry.  He  studied  medicine  with  his 
father,  and  was  graduated  M.  D.  at  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania in  1859.  On  the  7th  of  April  in  the  same  year,  he 
married  Cornelia  H.  Bateman,  the  only  child  of  Dr.  Eli  E, 
Bateman.  Three  of  their  five  children  survive.  Mrs.  Bate- 
man died  August  22,  1874,  and  on  the  14th  day  of  June, 
1876,  he  married  Louie,  eldest  daughter  of  Walter  Goff.  She 
and  their  child  survive  him.  He  superintended  the  Sabbath 
School  of  the  First  Church  of  Cedarville  eighteen  years, 
where  he  lived  and  had  a  wide  and  successful  practice  the 
same  length  of  time.  He  removed  to  Bridgeton  in  1877,  and 
died  at  his  home  there  June  4,  1878,  in  his  42d  year.  He 
served  in  the  army  during  1862-3  as  Assistant  Surgeon  of 
the  Twenty-Fifth  Regiment  of  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  and 
his  death  seems  to  have  been  hastened  by  the  service 
which  he  rendered  in  delivering  the  oration  in  Bridgeton  on 
commemoration  day,  the  week  before  his  death.     He  was  an 


52  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

unceasing  Christian  worker,  a  fluent  writer  and  speaker,  a  sin- 
cere and  hearty  devotee  to  the  welfare  of  men.  One  monu- 
ment which  he  erected  to  his  memory  is  his  "History  of  the 
Medical  Men  and  of  the  District  Medical  Society  of  the  County 
of  Cumberland,"  which  he  gave  to  the  press  in  1871.  It  will 
perpetuate  his  fame  for  man}^  generations  to  come.  His  first 
wife  was  a  granddaughter  of  Moses  Bateman,  Esq.,  of  whom, 
as  a  very  near  and  most  cordial  and  worthy  neighbor  of  the 
Rev.  Ethan  Osborn,  a  few  words  must  be  said. 

Moses  Bateman  was  born  July  19,  1760,  and  died  August 
12,  1841.  He  wrought  with  his  own  hands  in  erecting  this 
house,  from  foundation  to  peak  of  gable.  Then  he  served  his 
country  in  the  revolutionary  army,  for  which  he  received  a 
pension  in  his  later  years.  He  became  a  model  farmer,  his 
place  being  the  most  attractive  one  in  the  township,  showing 
thrift  everywhere,  the  perfection  of  neatness,  and  a  delightful 
degree  of  beauty.  He  was  a  pattern  of  honesty  and  kindli- 
ness, with  a  positive  disposition,  and  the  full  courage  of  his 
convictions.  He  needed  no  man  to  keep  his  conscience.  He 
could  afford  to  do  it,  and  was  able  to  do  it  himself.  He  was 
Constable  of  the  town  fifteen  years.  Justice  of  the  Peace  twenty 
years,  and  a  Judge  of  the  county  ten  years.  So  thorough  was 
his  intelligence,  so  consummate  his  discernment  and  good  sense 
and  so  spotless  his  integrity,  that  a  higher  civil  court  never 
reversed  one  of  his  judgments.  He  was  for  a  generation  pre- 
eminently the  Esquire  of  the  township.  To  his  eldest  son, 
Moses,  he  gave  a  medical  education.  This  young  physician 
entered  the  army  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  of  1812-14,  and 
among  the  troops  defending  Philadelphia  he  died  at  Billings- 
port,  New  Jersey,  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  Novem- 
ber 7,  1814,  in  the  30th  year  of  his  age. 

Eli  E.  Bateman,  a  son  of  Moses  Bateman,  Esq.,  was  born 
Oct.  3,  1805.  He  acquired  his  academical  education  under 
the  instruction  of  Matthew  Seymour,  Rev.  John  Burtt  and 
others,  and  studied  the  classic  languages  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  Rev.  Ethan  Osborn.     He  was  graduated  M.  D.  at 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  53 

the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1833,  purchased  and  took 
possession  of  the  property  of  the  late  Dr.  Daniel  C.  Pier- 
son,  in  Cedarville,  the  same  year,  and  for  forty-seven 
years  past  he  has  lived  there  in  a  most  intelligent,  skill- 
ful and  beneficent  practice  of  his  profession.  Beloved  for  his 
father's  sake  by  his  pastor,  when  he  was  a  classical  pupil  of 
the  Rev.  Ethan  Osborn,  the  relations  between  the  teacher  and 
the  pupil  became  those  of  intimate  friendship,  which  grew  all 
the  stronger  with  increasing  years,  so  that,  early  in  his  prac- 
tice, this  Dr.  Bateman  became  the  physician  of  Mr.  Osborn 
and  his  family,  and  he  continued  to  be  until  the  pastor's 
death,  for  whom  he  performed  a  minor  surgical  operation 
when  the  venerable  man  was  in  his  ninety-fourth  year. 

Another  of  our  good  Bateman  Elders  was  Burgin  Bateman. 
He  moved  to  Illinois  in  1833,  taking  with  him  among  his 
children  one  of  our  brightest  Fairfield  boj'S,  Newton  Bate- 
man, born  July  27,  1822.  This  youth,  in  his  seventeenth 
year,  was  permitted  to  prepare  himself  for  college.  He  had 
no  teacher,  and  there  was  no  room  in  his  father's  house  in 
which  he  could  study  ;  but  near  the  house  stood  an  old  elm 
tree,  eleven  feet  in  diameter.  He  tried  it,  and  found  it  hol- 
low, and  then  cut  a  door  in  the  side  of  it,  removed  some  of 
the  dead  wood,  put  down  a  carpet,  made  a  rough  table  and 
stool,  built  a  fire  in  front  of  the  door,  and  commenced  the 
Latin  grammar.  He  made  the  preparation  for  college  in 
four  months  and  entered  the  Freshman  class.  He  worked 
his  way  through,  and  was  graduated  at  Illinois  College  in 
1843  at  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  entered  Lane  Theologi- 
cal Seminary,  but  soon  left  it,  in  order  to  travel  and  sell  a 
chart  of  history.  In  eighteen  months  he  visited  all  parts  of 
the  country,  from  Maine  to  Texas,  and  studied  men  of  every 
kind.  He  then  taught  a  private  school  in  St.  Louis,  and 
made  it  very  prosperous.  From  1847  to  1851  he  was  the 
Professor  of  Mathematics  in  St.  Charles  College,  Missouri, 
and  then  became  principal  of  the  Public  Free  School  of 
Jacksonville,  Illinois.     Here  he  fitted  one  hundred  students 


54  THE   OLD  STONE   CHURCH. 

for  college  and  as  many  more  for  teachers — being  at  the 
same  time  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  the  city  and  Com- 
missioner of  Schools  for  the  county.  He  was  re-elected 
County  Commissioner  without  opposition.  After  devoting 
seven  years  to  tliis  work,  he  resigned  it,  and  became  princi- 
pal of  the  Jacksonville  Female  Academy  in  1858;  but  he 
was  elected  before  the  close  of  the  year,  State  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction.  In  the  meantime  he  had  taken  a 
foremost  and  toilsome  part,  for  three  years,  in  the  successful 
effort  to  establish  the  Normal  University.  Five  times  he  was 
elected  State  Superintendent  for  two  years  each,  and  every 
time,  except  one,  by  a  larger  majority  than  any  other  man 
on  the  successful  Republican  ticket  with  him.  He  published 
near  the  end  of  each  term  a  masterly  volume  in  the  form  of 
a  report,  and  the  volumes  of  the  series  have  placed  him  in 
the  front  rank  of  educational  writers.  It  is  believed  that  the 
reports  of  no  other  State  Superintendent,  except  Horace 
Mann,  have  ever  received  so  wide  and  profound  attention 
and  study  in  this  country.  During  the  years  18t)2-4  he  had 
charge  of  the  correspondence  of  the  Provost  Marshal  General 
of  the  State,  and  kept  thirty-five  clerks  busy  in  this  work. 
He  then  resumed  the  State  Superintendency  of  Public 
Instruction.  He  was  appointed  by  the  National  Association 
of  Superintendents  to  be  one  of  the  committee  of  three  to  ask 
Congress  to  establish  the  Bureau  of  Education ;  and  the 
committee  were  charged  to  prepare  a  bill  for  the  purpose. 
He  went  to  Washington  on  this  business  in  18G7,  and  the 
law  now  in  force  is  essentially  the  committee's  draft.  He 
sometimes  has  made  an  hundred  public  addresses  a  year,  and 
he  rarely  repeats  one  more  than  five  times.  He  makes  good 
use  of  his  native  language  and  of  a  persuasive  eloquence.  In 
1874  he  was  elected  pre.sident  of  Knox  College,  and  success- 
fully fills  the  office,  showing  himself  well  worthy  of  his 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws. 

The  Westcotts  surpass  even  the  Batemans  in  the  number 
of    Elders   they   have   given   us,  and    are   equalled    by  the 


DR.  WHITAKER8  ADDRESS.  55 

Ogdens  only — five  of  each.     Two  Westcotts  and  two  Ogdens 
were  in  the  session  in  1759.     John  Westcott,  a  school  teacher, 
living  in  Bridgeton  when  it  was  on  the  verge  of  the  congre- 
gation, was  the  father  of  James  D.  Westcott,  who  was  born 
January    26,   1775.     The   next   year  the  father  entered  the 
army  as  lieutenant  and  soon  became  captain,  and  fought  in 
the  battles  of  Trenton,  Brandy  wine,  German  town  and  Mon- 
mouth.    The  son  was  educated  in  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.    He  became  a  printer  and  an  editor,  and  published 
the   Argus,  in  Bridgeton,  from   1794  to  1796,  and    married 
during   the  time  Ann    Harris    Hampton,  daughter   of    Dr. 
John    Thomas    Hampton,   an    Elder   of    our    Session,   and 
Treasurer  of  our  Trustees.     He  subsequently  went  to  Wash- 
ington, and  was  in  the  printing  business  there  a  few  years, 
and  during  this   time  his  son,  James  D.  Westcott,  Jr.,  was 
born  in  Fredericksburg,  Virginia.     In  1810  he  purchased  the 
Bellers'  land-title  to  a  large  part  of  this  township,  one  claim 
stretching  from  Fairton  to  the  mouth   of    Back  creek  and 
another  covering  Jones'  Island.     The  result  of  a  law-suit  was 
an  arbitration  which  compelled  the  occupants  of  the  land  to 
pay  $3.25  per  acre,  whatever  its  quality.     Much  of  the  land 
was  not  then  worth  this  price.     But  most  of  the  holders  paid 
the  money  and  took  legal  deeds  from  Mr.  Westcott,  and  he 
was  two  or  three  years  busy  with  this  work,  living  at  Cedar- 
ville.    Then  he  lived  for  a  time  on  Jones'  Island.    Afterwards, 
for  about  five  years,  he  was  United  States  Collector  of  the 
Port  of  Bridgeton.     In  1816  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
State  Assembly,  and  in  1820  a  member  of  the  upper  house  of 
the  Legislature,  and  for  many  years  he  was  the  Presiding 
Judge  of  the  County  Court  of  Common  Pleas.     In  1829  he 
was  elected  by  the  Legislature  Secretary  of  State,  and  was 
re-elected  several  times,  so  that  he  held  this  office  ten  years, 
living  in  Trenton,  where  he  died  in  1841.     His  widow  sur- 
vived him  until  1849.     They  had  a  large  family  of  children. 
Hampton    became    a    naval    officer.      James    studied    law, 
practiced  in  Bridgeton,  married  a  daughter  of  John  Sibley, 


66  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

sister  of  Samuel  Shute  Sibley  and  of  the  present  John  Sibley 
of  Philadelphia.  President  Jackson  appointed  him  Secretary 
of  Florida,  and  he  became  the  acting  Governor.  The  Legis- 
lature of  that  State  elected  him  in  1856  a  Senator  of  the 
United  States.  During  the  war  he  went  to  Canada,  and 
continued  to  reside  in  Montreal  until  his  death — perhaps  a 
year  since.  His  brother  John  made  his  home  in  Florida, 
and  was  for  a  time  its  Surveyor-General.  Gideon  Granger, 
another  of  the  brothers,  became  a  prosperous  Philadelphia 
merchant  and  the  Postmaster  of  that  city.  George  Clinton 
became  an  accomplished  and  gallant  officer  in  the  United 
States  army,  won  the  favor  of  Gen.  Scott  in  Mexico,  by  his 
meritorious  conduct,  and  received  two  brevets.  He  married 
a  daughter  of  his  mother's  half-sister,  Mrs.  John  E.  Jeffries. 
His  wife's  sister  married  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  H.  Willey,  one 
of  our  first  ministers  in  California.  Tliis  faithful  captain 
died  in  1853  at  sea*,  while  on  his  way  to  California.  Another 
brother  of  this  large  family,  Bayse  Newcomb  Westcott,  was 
named  after  one  of  our  Fairfield  men  who  became  an  eminent 
lawyer  of  Philadelphia.  This  brother  has  attained  a  high 
rank  as  an  officer  in  the  United  States  Nav3^ 

Our  Elder  Hampton  had  other  children  than  Mrs.  Westcott. 
One  son  was  the  late  Dr.  Isaac  H.  Hampton,  born  June  12, 
1785,  who  lived  here  until  he  was  graduated  M.  D.,  at  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1802,  at  the  remarkably  early 
age  of  seventeen  years.  He  commenced  practice  in  Wood- 
bury, married  the  daughter  of  Gen.  Giles  in  1810,  and  the 
next  year  removed  to  Bridgeton,  where  he  became  an  eminent 
physician  and  a  celebrated  conversationalist,  as  well  as  an  ar- 
dent Whig  politician.  He  celebrated  his  golden  wedding,  April 
23,  1860,  and  passed  away  from  earth  September  4,  in  the 
same  year.  He  was  the  father  of  James  Giles  Hampton,  who 
was  graduated  at  the  College  of  New  Jersey  in  1835,  studied 
law,  became  a  practitioner  in  Bridgeton,  and  was  a  member 
of  Congress  four  years  from  1846-49. 

The  latest  of  our  Westcott  Elders  is  memorable  for  his 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  57 

children.  One  of  them,  John  H.,  was  graduated  at  the 
College  of  New  Jersey,  and  became  a  classical  teacher  in 
Philadelphia.  Another,  Lorenzo,  was  graduated  with  honor  at 
the  same  college  in  1852,  and  at  the  Princeton  Theological  Sem- 
inary in  1855.  He  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Green  Avenue 
Church,  of  Brooklyn,  October  16,  1856.  He  was  afterwards 
pastor  of  Warrior  Run,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  resigned  that 
charge  to  become  a  professor  in  Lincoln  University,  whence 
he  was  providentially  called  to  be  the  Professor  of  Theology 
in  Howard  University,  at  Washington,  D.  C.  His  splendid 
personal  appearance  attracted  attention  in  any  company,  and 
the  courtesy  and  grace  of  his  manners  were  surpassed  only 
by  the  Christian  devotion  and  zeal  of  his  heart.  He  was  a 
fine  scholar,  and  died,  all  too  soon  for  us,  in  the  midst  of  his 
great  usefulness,  at  German  town.  Pa.,  June  5,  1879,  aged  50 
years.  His  younger  brother,  Franklin  F.  Westcott,  a  lawyer 
of  Bridgeton,  a  man  of  superior  abilities,  died  young,  while 
rapidly  winning  the  honors  and  rewards  of  his  profession. 

Another  good  man  of  this  family  is  Robert  Raikes  West- 
cott, who  was  graduated  at  the  College  of  New  Jersey  in  1863, 
and  at  the  Princeton  Theological  Seminary  in  1866,  and 
ordained  the  next  year.  He  has  been  for  the  last  ten  years 
the  pastor  of  Clarinda,  Iowa. 

The  Westcotts  have  extended  their  activity  and  enterprise 
over  a  wide  range  of  employments.  One  of  them  has  become 
prominent  in  the  construction  and  management  of  railroads. 
This  is  Ebenezer  Westcott,  who  had  the  chief  part  in  bring- 
ing the  Cumberland  and  Maurice  River  railroad  into  exist- 
ence, and  was  the  president  of  it  for  several  years.  The 
station  nearest  this  Old  Stone  Church,  on  his  own  farm,  he 
called  after  his  own  name,  Westcott  His  residence  is  now 
in  the  city  of  Camden;  but  as  a  railroad  builder,  he  is 
pushing  his  business  on  more  than  one  line.  He  is  the 
son  of  Ebenezer  and  Hannah  (Low)  Westcott,  and  was  born 
some  six  miles  south  of  this  Old  Stone  Church,  on  the  23d  of 
October,  1814.     His  brother,  the  Rev.  Henry  Westcott,  pastor 


58  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

of  the  Baptist  Church,  of  Milburn,  New  Jersey,  was  born  in 
1816,  and  is  laboriously  and  faithfully  pursuing  the  duties  of 
his  most  worthy  and  useful  calling. 

Our  Elder  Daniel  Burt  was  born  August  14,  1765,  and  died 
November  19, 1843.  His  father,  John,  came  from  East  Jersey. 
The  Elder's  first  wife  was  Abigail  Harris.  Their  son,  Daniel 
Lawrence  Burt,  was  born  May  10,  1793,  and  died  February 
29,  1872.  He  married  Sarah  Clark,  November  16, 1813.  Her 
great  grandfather  came  from  Long  Island,  and  the  name  of 
both  her  father  and  grandfather  was  James.  Daniel  L.  Burt's 
children  were  Sarah  Clark,  James  Clark,  Cornelia,  Nathaniel 
Clark  and  Abigail.  Of  these  children,  Sarah  Clark  married 
Jonathan  Russell,  and  their  son,  James  Burt  Russell,  is  a 
banker  of  Champaign,  Illinois.  James  Clark  Burt,  born  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1817,  studied  in  Lafayette  College  and  in  Hanover 
College,  and  was  graduated  at  the  latter.  He  studied  medi- 
cine in  Philadelphia  and  Cincinnati.  He  married  first  Ann 
Butler,  of  Hanover,  Indiana,  made  his  home  in  Vernon, 
Indiana,  and  practiced  medicine  there  thirty-three  years,  until 
his  death.  He  entered  the  full  communion  of  the  Vernon 
Church  in  1845,  and  was  ordained  an  Elder  thereof  in  1851. 
He  was  wise,  generous,  kindly  and  faithful  in  the  fulfillment 
of  the  duties  of  the  office.  He  was  an  intelligent,  energetic 
and  skillful  physician,  being  at  the  head  of  his  profession  in 
the  county,  and  often  consulted  in  difficult  cases.  He  was 
the  U.  S.  Medical  Examiner  for  the  county,  and  for  ten  years 
a  Trustee  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Institution  of  the  State.  He 
married  for  his  second  wife  Martha  Elizabeth  Howell,  of 
Cedarville,  New  Jersey.  His  eldest  son,  William  N.,  is  a  pro- 
fessor in  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Institution  at  Indianapolis. 
His  second  son,  James  Clark,  was  graduated  at  Hanover  Col- 
lege in  1867,  and  then  studied  two  years  in  the  Princeton 
Theological  Seminary,  was  ordained  in  1874,  and  is  the  min- 
ister of  the  churches  of  Vernon,  North  Vernon  and  Graham, 
Indiana. 

Nathaniel  Clark,  second  son  of  Daniel  L.  and  Sarah  Burt, 


DR.   WHITAKER'S  ADDRESS.  59 

was  born  in  Fairton,  April  23,  1825.  He  was  graduated  at 
the  College  of  New  Jersey,  valedictorian  of  his  class,  in  1846, 
and  at  the  Princeton  Theological  Seminary  in  1850,  ordained 
pastor  of  the  First  Church,  Springfield,  Ohio,  June  1,  1850; 
installed  pastor  of  the  Franklin  Street  Church,  Baltimore,  in 
1855,  and  of  the  Seventh  Church  or  Broadway  Street  Church, 
Cincinnati,  in  1860  and  retained  this  charge  eight  years.  On 
account  of  ill  health  he  travelled,  in  1866,  through  Europe, 
Egypt  and  Syria.  When  the  same  cause  impelled  him  to  re- 
sign his  pastoral  charge,  in  1868,  he  was  elected  president  of 
the  Ohio  Female  College;  and  he  well  fulfilled  the  duties  of 
the  office  for  two  years,  as  long  as  failing  health  permitted. 
In  the  summer  of  1870  he  sailed  with  his  family  for  Europe, 
and  remained  there,  mainly  in  the  southern  part,  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  Rome,  March  4,  1874.  He  made  a 
free  and  excellent  use  of  his  pen,  as  well  as  of  his  speech,  and 
published  his  first  volume,  "Redemption's  Dawn,"  in  1852, 
and  subsequently  "Hours  among  the  Gospels,"  "The  Far  East," 
and  fourthly,  "The  Land  and  its  Story."  He  possessed  many 
elements  of  a  lovely,  noble,  beneficent.  Christian  manhood. 
He  was  scholarly,  eloquent  and  spiritual.  His  clear  intellect 
was  united  with  a  vigorous  imagination  and  a  gentle  humor 
that  was  no  less  spontaneous  than  it  was  charming.  He  per- 
ceived quickly  and  accurately,  and  expressed  his  thoughts 
and  observations  with  grace  and  precision.  He  wrote  much 
for  periodicals,  both  secular  and  religious,  and  the  place  of 
his  birth  may  well  prize  his  life,  character,  deeds  and  benign 

influence.     He  received  the  degree  of  D.  D.  at college. 

On  the  29th  of  May,  1850,  he  married  Rebecca  A.  Belden,  of 
Salem,  New  Jersey.  She  survives  him  with  three  of  their 
four  daughters,  Mary,  Sarah,  Cornelia,  Frances.  His  burial 
place  is  the  Protestant  Cemetery,  at  Rome,  where  many  un- 
speakably precious  forms  sleep  in  Jesus.  His  widow  resides 
in  Bridgeton,  and  his  youngest  sister,  Abigail,  at  the  home- 
stead, in  Fairton.  His  mother's  sister  Ruth  was  the  mother 
of  the  Rev.  W.  L.  Githens,  one  of  our  honorable  and  faithful 


60  THE  OLD  STONE   CHURCH. 

men  of  Fairfield,  who  is  the  rector  of  the  P.  E.  Church  of  the 
Advent,  in  San  Francisco.  Another  sister,  Bathsheba,  was 
the  mother  of  Francis  Marion  Wood,  who  was  graduated  at 
the  College  of  New  Jersey,  in  1858,  and  at  the  Princeton  The- 
ological Seminary  in  1861,  and  who  not  long  since  was  pas- 
tor-elect of  Oxford,  Ohio.  Ruth,  daughter  of  James  Clark, 
Sr.,  was  successively  the  wife  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  Ogden  and 
Rev.  Abijah  Davis.  The  former  was  graduated  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania  in  1793,  and  studied  theology  under 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Nathaniel  Emmons,  of  Franklin,  Massachusetts. 
Bathsheba,  second  daughter  of  James  Clark,  Sr.,  was  the 
mother  of  the  Rev.  Theophilus  Parvin,  who  was  born  here  in 
1798,  graduated  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  married 
Mary,  daughter  of  Caesar  A.  Rodney,  ordained  as  a  mission- 
ary, went  under  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  to  South  America,  in  1823, 
in  connection  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bingham,  settled  in  Buenos 
Ayres,  where  he  remained  until  1830,  and  then  returned 
home  in  ill  health.  He  died  December  15,  1835.  He  left 
two  children — Mary,  who  married,  first,  Rev.  Joseph  Porter, 
and  secondly,  Rev.  Levi  Janvier,  both  being  missionaries  in 
India ;  and  Theophilus,  who  studied  medicine  and  is  now  at 
the  head  of  his  profession  in  the  city  of  Indianapolis,  the  cap- 
ital of  Indiana. 

Elder  Daniel  Burt's  daughter,  Abigail,  married  David 
Harris,  and  one  of  their  sons  is  the  Rev.  Daniel  Burt  Harris, 
of  the  M.  E.  Church. 

One  of  the  Elders  in  1759  was  Henry  Pierson.  Of  this 
family  a  word  must  be  said  respecting  three  generations  of 
physicians.  Dr.  Azel  Pierson  seems  to  have  studied  medicine 
with  Dr.  Ebenezer  Elmer,  and  commenced  practice  in  Cedar- 
ville,  in  1789,  before  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age.  He 
was  appointed  Clerk  of  the  county  in  1804,  and  held  the  office 
eight  years,  until  his  death  in  1812  at  the  early  age  of  forty- 
six  years.  While  Clerk  of  the  county  he  lived  in  Bridgeton ; 
but  his  grave  is  here.  His  son,  Azel,  Jr.,  is  the  author  of 
Rose's  Arithmetic,  a  school  book  which   was  for  a  generation 


DR.   WHITAKER'S  ADDRESS.  61 

much  in  use,  especially  as  being  the  first  to  give  in  its 
examples  prices  in  the  decimal  money  of  the  United  States. 
He  became  a  schoolmaster  of  much  celebrity,  as  some  of  his 
scholars  yet  living  will  testify.  He  carefully  prepared  this 
arithmetic  for  his  own  use  in  school,  and  at  his  death  the 
manuscript  came  into  the  possesion  of  Mr.  Rose,  merchant, 
in  Bridgeton,  who  deemed  it  well  worth  publication.  It  had 
a  very  extensive  sale,  being  for  many  years  the  most  popular 
book  of  the  kind  in  the  country.  Azel  died  in  1824  at  the 
early  age  of  thirty  years,  and  is  buried  in  the  Presbyterian 
cemetery  in  Bridgeton.  Another  son  of  Dr.  Azel  Pierson, 
Daniel  C,  Pierson,  born  in  Cedarville,  October  9,  1792,  studied 
medicine  with  his  father,  and  was  graduated  at  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  M.  D.,  in  1814.  He  gave  a  year  thereafter  to 
the  settlement  of  his  father's  estate,  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Cedarville,  in  1815.  When  he 
was  twenty-eight  years  old,  he  went  to  Vincennes,  Indiana, 
on  foot,  except  from  Pittsburg  to  Cincinnati  by  skiff.  He 
entered  the  full  communion  of  this  church  in  1828,  and  in 
the  same  year  took  the  lead  in  organizing  the  first  temper- 
ance society  formed  in  the  count}' — an  enterprise  whose  need 
and  difficulty  few  can  now  understand.  The  Rev.  Ethan 
Osborn  and  Dr.  B.  Rush  Bateman  gave  him  efficient  support. 
He  moved  in  1833  to  Jacksonville,  and  in  1850  to  Augusta, 
Illinois,  where  he  died  January  29,  1857.  He  was  an  Elder 
both  at  Jacksonville  and  Augusta — a  man  of  great  intelli- 
gence, versatility  and  usefulness.  He  married  Naomi  Nixon. 
Of  his  Fairfield  children  Jeremiah  is  and  has  been  for  twenty 
years  past  the  Justice  of  the  Peace, of  Jacksonville.  Daniel 
studied  medicine  with  his  father  and  practiced  thirty-three 
years  in  Augusta,  until  his  death  in  1879,  being  always  as 
resolute  against  intemperance  as  his  father.  William  became 
a  teacher  of  the  Cherokees  in  the  Indian  Territory,  and  died 
in  1854.  George,  born  here  in  1826,  was  graduated  in  Illinois 
College  in  1848,  and  at  Andover  Theological  Seminary  in 
1851.     He  was  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  of  Jacksonville, 


62  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

November  9,  1851.  He  married  Salome  Dexter  of  Augusta, 
Illinois,  the  next  month,  and  they  went  forthwith  as  mis- 
sionaries to  the  Choctaw  Indians.  Their  health  failed  the 
next  year,  and  they  turned  their  faces  homeward.  Mrs. 
Pierson  died  on  the  way,  at  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  September 
14,  1852.  The  next  two  years  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pierson  studied 
medicine  in  the  College  of  Cincinnatti,  Ohio,  and  Albany, 
New  York,  and  obtained  his  degree.  The  American  Board 
desired  him  to  labor  in  Micronesia — the  world  of  small 
islands  in  the  Pacific.  He  consented.  In  October,  1854,  he 
married  Miss  N.  A.  Shaw,  of  Delaware  county,  New  York. 
They  sailed  the  next  month  from  Boston  by  Cape  Horn  and 
the  Hawaiian  Islands  for  their  destination,  where  they  labored 
faithfully  as  missionaries  until  the  failure  of  Mrs.  Pierson's 
health,  when  they  returned  to  the  United  States  in  1860.  The 
Rev.  Dr.  Pierson  thereupon  began  to  minister  to  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Brooklyn,  California,  across  the  bay  from 
San  Francisco,  and  there  well  fulfilled  the  duties  of  his 
office  ten  years  ;  then,  for  five  years,  to  the  church  of  Adel, 
Iowa.  In  May,  1876,  he  was  installed  pastor  of  the  church 
at  Solomon,  Kansas,  where  his  venerable  Fairfield  mother 
lives  with  him.  How  thankful  she  may  be  for  such  a  hus- 
band and  children  as  her  own !  How  much  she  has  done  to 
make  them  such  ! 

Next  to  the  Ogdens  and  the  Westcotts  the  Harrises  have 
had  the  largest  part  in  our  Eldership.  Ephraim  Harris,  Esq., 
was  ordained  February  14,  1771,  before  the  death  of  Pastor 
Ramsay,  and  continued  in  office  more  than  twenty  years.  He 
was,  perhaps,  the  second,  man  in  the  county,  and  prominent 
in  the  State,  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  1776,  when  it 
formed  the  first  constitution  of  the  State,  and  he  afterwards 
served  in  both  branches,  being  the  presiding  officer  of  the 
Assembly  in  1782.  He  was  the  most  intelligent  member  of 
the  Session  when  the  Rev.  Ethan  Osborn  began  to  moderate 
it.  He  was  probably  a  son  of  Capt.  Thomas  Harris,  who 
went  to  England  in  1750,  for  the  people  here,  and  made  an 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  63 

unsuccessful  effort  to  buy  the  Bellers'  title  to  the  land  in  the 
central  and  southern  part  of  the  township.  Ephraim's  son 
Thomas  was  an  Elder,  and  this  Thomas  was  the  father  of 
Theophilus  E.  Harris,  Sheriff  of  the  county  from  1848  to  '51, 
father  of  James,  William,  Thomas  Urban,  Albert  and  others. 

Jeremiah  Nixon  was  ordained  an  Elder  in  1777.  He  was 
one  of  seven  children,  and  the  eldest  son  of  the  founder  of 
the  family  in  this  count}^  whose  name  was  Jeremiah  also,  and 
who  established  himself  on  a  fine  farm  at  Jones'  Island, 
where  he  died  August  2,  1766,  aged  50  years.  The  Jeremiah 
who  became  our  Elder  in  1777,  died  October  11,  1798,  having 
been  an  Elder  more  than  twenty-one  years.  The  only  son  of 
this  Elder  was  Jeremiah,  born  in  1770  and  died  in  1812. 
The  eldest  son  of  the  latter  was  Jeremiah  Smith  Nixon,  who 
was  born  September  20,  1794,  on  the  family  farm,  Jones' 
Island,  where  all  his  Cumberland  county  Nixon  ancestors 
lived  and  died.  In  his  later  years  his  residence  was  in 
Bridgeton,  where  he  was  a  member  of  the  West  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  where  he  died  April  24,  1878.  He  married, 
April  30,  1816,  Mary  Shaw  Thompson,  who  was  born  Decem- 
ber 22,  1794,  on  the  family  farm,  adjoining  the  Nixon  farm. 
Her  death  occurred  in  Dennisville,  New  Jersey,  December 
14, 1861.  They  were  the  parents  of  a  remarkable  family  of  eight 
children :  Isabel  Sheppard,  William  Garrison,  John  Thomp- 
son, James  Oscar,  Rhoda  Smith,  Mary  Eliza,  Jeremiah  How- 
ard and  Anna  Elmer.  Isabel  married  Samuel  T.  Bodine,  for 
many  years  a  prominent  business  man,  church  supporter  and 
Christian  worker  in  Philadelphia,  an  Elder  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  a  director  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  a  man 
of  recognized  influence  in  the  affairs  of  the  city,  as  genial  as 
he  was  resolute  and  commanding.  Their  two  sons  are  well 
known  for  their  intelligence,  energy  and  success  in  conduct- 
ing a  large  manufacturing  business  in  Bridgeton,  and  also 
for  their  liberality,  as  earnest  Presbyterians,  in  the  support  of 
Christian  and  benevolent  enterprises. 

William  Garrison  Nixon,  born  on  the  old  Thompson  home- 


64  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

stead,  December  6,  1818,  entered  in  his  youth  a  banking  insti- 
tution in  Philadelphia.  His  health  failed,  and  to  restore  it 
he  returned  to  his  father's  house  in  Bridgeton,  in  1839.  He 
was  soon  able  to  accept  a  clerkship  in  the  Cumberland  bank. 
Mr.  Charles  Read  had  been  its  cashier  from  its  organization, 
in  1816.  He  died  in  1844,  and  Mr.  Nixon  was  elected  his 
successor,  and  how  efficiently  he  has  filled  it  for  thirty-six 
years  is  well  known.  The  bank  has  been  eminently  sound, 
prosperous,  largely  increasing  its  capital  and  its  business  and 
usefulness,  while  he  has  become  one  of  the  foremost  men  of 
the  city  in  general  intelligence,  social  position,  lesthetic  cul- 
ture, moral  and  financial  power,  and  beneficent  and  Christian 
influence.  November  8, 1843,  he  married  Sarah  Boyd,  daugh- 
ter of  James  B.  Potter,  a  son  of  Col.  David  Potter  of  the  revo- 
lutionary army,  father  of  Dr.  J.  Barron  Potter,  Col.  William 
E.  Potter  and  others.  Mr.  Potter  was  the  brother-in-law  of 
Judge  Daniel  Elmer,  whom  he  succeeded  as  the  president  of 
the  bank  when  the  latter  resigned  on  becoming  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court.  Mr.  Nixon's  elder  son,  James  Boyd,  is  the 
Nixon,  of  Potter  and  Nixon,  lawyers,  Bridgeton.  The  younger, 
AVilliam  Barron,  is  his  father's  assistant  in  the  bank. 

John  Thompson  Nixon  was  born  in  Fairton,  August  31, 
1820,  prepared  for  college  in  Bridgeton,  graduated  with  dis- 
tinguished honors  at  the  College  of  New  Jersey  in  1841,  and 
for  two  years  thereafter  was  directed  in  his  study  of  law  by 
ex-Governor  Elias  P.  Seeley  ;  he  then  studied  a  year  in  the 
Valley  of  Virginia,  with  the  Hon.  Isaac  S.  Pennybacker,  U. 
S.  Judge  for  the  Western  District  of  Virginia,  until 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Virginia,  in  May,  1844. 
The  next  summer  he  returned  to  his  native  State  and 
received  his  license  to  practice  in  New  Jersey  at  the  October 
term  of  the  Supreme  Court,  in  1845.  He  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Legislature  in  1848  and  again  the  next  year,  and 
was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House  when  he  was  twenty-nine 
years  of  age.  In  the  autumn  of  1858,  the  First  District  of 
New    Jersey    elected   him  a   member    of    the    Thirty-sixth 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  65 

Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  re-elected  him  to  the  Thirty- 
seventh  Congress  in  1860.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Committee  of  Commerce  throughout  the  four  j^ears.  He 
declined  to  serve  a  third  term,  though  his  course  had  been 
brilliant,  effective,  and  eminently  satisfactory  and  grateful, 
as  well  as  honorable,  to  the  great  majority  of  the  District, 
In  1863  he  was  invited  to  deliver  the  annual  address  during 
commencement  week,  before  the  two  Literary  Societies  of  the 
College  of  New  Jersey.  He  chose  for  his  theme :  "Endur- 
ance— Individual  and  National."  His  oration  was  both 
scholarly  and  eloquent,  and  peculiarly  appropriate  to  the  hour 
in  the  dark  day  of  the  war  for  the  Union,  a  week  before  the 
capture  of  Vicksburg  and  the  glorious  victory  of  Gettysburg. 
In  1864  he  became  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  college,  and  has 
ever  since  devoted  much  time  and  attention  to  the  institu- 
tion. In  1870  President  Grant  appointed  him  to  be  the 
United  States  Judge  for  the  District  of  New  Jersey,  and  he 
continues  to  fill  this  high  and  responsible  office,  with  great 
ability,  learning  and  rectitude.  He  prepared  the  second, 
third  and  fourth  editions  of  Judge  L.  Q.  C.  Elmer's  Digest  of 
the  Statute  Laws  of  the  State,  with  copious  indexes  and  a 
complete  body  of  notes — the  second  edition  in  1855  and  the 
fourth  in  1868.  He  also  prepared  a  "Book  of  Forms"  for 
popular  use,  admirably  adapted  to  their  purpose.  He  has 
given  much  attention  to  Sabbath  School  work,  having  been 
eighteen  years  a  superintendent  of  a  Sabbath  School.  In 
the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church,  as  a  Ruling  Elder,  he 
has  been  repeatedly  a  prominent  member.  He  was  especially 
active  in  the  Old  School  Assembly  of  1869  in  promoting  the 
re-union.  He  was  a  member  of  the  last  General  Assembly 
at  Madison,  Wisconsin,  and  is  now,  as  for  two  years  past,  a 
member  of  the  General  Assembly's  committee  of  seven  min- 
isters and  five  Elders  engaged  in  revising  the  Form  of 
Government  and  Book  of  Discipline.  He  is  one  of  four 
residuary  legatees  to  whom  the  late  John  C.  Green  entrusted 
for  distribution  to  religious  and  charitable  objects  an  estate 
5 


66  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

of  more  than  seven  millions  of  dollars — a  sum  far  exceeding 
the  assessed  value  of  half  the  real  and  personal  property  in 
Cumberland  county  ;  seven  times  the  assessed  value  of  this 
whole  township  of  Fairfield.  Judge  Nixon  married,  Septem- 
ber 24, 1851,  Mary  Hirst,  youngest  daughter  of  Judge  L.  Q.  C. 
Elmer.     They  have  several  children. 

James  Oscar  Nixon  was  born  in  Cedarville,  April  13,  1822. 
He  became,  in  early  manhood,  a  partner  with  his  uncle  James 
B.  Thompson,  merchant  tailor.  New  York,  and  took  charge  of 
a  branch  of  the  large  business  in  New  Orleans.  But  the  bus- 
iness did  not  suit  him.  He  withdrew  from  it  and  formed  a 
partnership  with  a  friend,  and  they  purchased  the  New  Or- 
leans Crescent,  a  daily  and  weekly  newspaper.  They  speedily 
made  it  equal  to  any  paper  in  the  city,  and  maintained  this 
position  until  it  was  seized  and  confiscated  by  the  military 
force  employed  in  suppressing  the  rebellion.  Since  the  close 
of  the  war,  impaired  health  has  kept  him  from  active  busi- 
ness. He  married,  in  1846,  Martha  Inskeep,  of  New  Orleans, 
a  granddaughter  of  Gen.  James  Giles,  of  Bridgeton.  Their 
only  son,  James  Oscar  Nixon,  Jr.,  is  a  young  lawyer  of  bright 
prospects  in  New  Orleans. 

Rhoda  Smith  Nixon,  born  in  Cedarville,  June  1, 1825,  mar- 
ried Henry  Sheppard  in  1844.  They  forthwith  made  their 
home  in  Springfield,  Missouri,  where  they  maintained  a  char- 
acter worthy  of  their  Presbyterian  and  patriotic  blood.  Their 
only  son  was  graduated  at  the  U.  S.  Naval  Academy,  but  has 
become  a  prominent  young  lawyer  in  Springfield. 

Mary  Eliza  Nixon,  born  in  Cedarville,  July  3,  1827,  mar- 
ried David  Potter  Elmer,  February  19,  1852.  Bridgeton  has 
been  their  home  ever  since  the  marriage.  They  have  two 
sons  and  one  daughter.  The  orange  blossoms  have  recently 
been  fragrant  in  the  West  Church  of  Bridgeton.  The  chief 
clergyman  was  the  bride's  uncle,  namely  : 

J.  Howard  Nixon,  born  November  27,  1829,  gradu- 
ated with  honor  at  the  College  of  New  Jersey  in  1851, 
and   three  years   later   at   the   Princeton   Theological  Sem- 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  67 

inary,  ordained  pastor  of  the  Church  of  Cambridge,  New 
York,  in  June,  1856,  and  four  years  later  installed  the  pastor 
of  the  First  Church  of  Indianapolis.  His  ministry  was 
acceptable,  prosperous  and  faithful  in  both  places ;  but  failing 
health  compelled  him  to  resign  these  charges — the  last  in 
1868.  The  next  year  he  accepted  the  superintendency  of  the 
public  schools  of  Springfield,  Missouri,  and  in  1871,  the 
presidency  of  the  Female  College,  at  St.  Charles,  in  that 
Commonwealth.  He  raised  the  institution  from  decline  to 
vigor  and  usefulness  ;  but  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  resume 
pastoral  work,  he  resigned  his  place  at  its  head,  and  accepted 
the  pastorate  of  the  Central  Church,  of  Wilmington,  Dela- 
ware, which  has  been  flourishing  under  his  wise,  active  and 
faithful  ministry  for  two  years  past.  While  the  pastor  of  the 
"  Old  White  Meeting  House,"  he  married  Flora,  daughter  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Jewell.  They  have  one  son  and  two  daughters. 
He  received  his  degree  of  D.  D.  from College. 

Anna  Elmer  Nixon  married  Gen.  John  B.  Sanborn  in  1865. 
He  was  an  officer  of  distinction  in  the  army,  and  is  now  a 
public  spirited  citizen  and  a  prominent  lawyer  in  St.  Paul, 
Minnesota.     She  died  in  May,  1878. 

A  half  brother  of  Jeremiah  Smith  Nixon,  whose  children 
have  been  named,  is  George  W.  Nixon,  who  married  Martha:- 
Harris.  He  was  born  November  11, 1804,  and  her  birthday  was 
May  23,  1811.  Their  eldest  son,  George  Franklin,  was  born 
October  18,  1833,  and  was  admitted  to  the  full  communion 
of  the  Church  at  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  became  a  printer 
in  Philadelphia;  and,  in  1858,  an  owner  of  the  Bridgeton 
Chronicle,  having  a  half  interest  five  years  and  then  the 
whole.  He  was  the  sole  proprietor  sixteen  years.  He  started 
the  Bridgeton  Daily  in  September,  1873,  published  it  six 
years,  and  then  sold  both  Chronicle  and  Daily  to  Mr.  Alfred 
M.  Heston,.the  present  owner. 

Another  son  of  George  W.  and  Martha  Harris  Nixon  is 
James  Harris  Nixon,  who  was  born  in  1838,  graduated  at  the 
College  of  New  Jersey  in  1858,  studied  law   with  John  F. 


68  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

Hageman,  Esq.,  of  Princeton,  one  year,  and  with  his  cousin, 
Hon.  John  T.  Nixon,  two  years,  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
1863,  a  member  of  the  New  Jersey  Legislature  seven  consec- 
utive years  from  1865  to  1871,  four  in  the  Assembly  and  then 
three  in  the  Senate,  chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Committee  in 
both  the  Assembly  and  the  Senate,  the  Republican  candidate 
two  years  for  the  Speakership  of  the  Assembly,  candidate  for 
Presidential  Elector  in  1876.  He  is  a  good  Presbyterian,  a 
lawyer  of  high  standing,  eminent  ability,  great  influence,  his 
attractive  personal  appearance  indicating  a  sound  mind  in  a 
sound  body. 

Our  Stratton  and  Preston  Elders  were  related.  Benjamin 
Stratton  2d,  (son  of  Benjamin,  son  of  Richard  of  Easthamp- 
ton  and  Southampton,  L.  I.),  married  Abigail  Preston,  daugh- 
ter of  Levi  Preston,  and  granddaughter  of  Levi  Preston,  of 
Salem,  New  England.  This  Stratton-Preston  marriage  was 
on  November  28,  1723,  and  the  bride's  father  was  our  Elder 
Levi  Preston,  and  our  Elder  Isaac  Preston  was  her  uncle. 

One  fruit  of  it  was  our  Elder  Levi  Stratton.  ( )ther  sons 
were  Benjamin  and  John.  Levi  was  the  father  of  Daniel 
Preston  Stratton,  father  of  the  Rev.  James  and  Rev.  Daniel 
Stratton.  Levi's  brother  Benjamin  was  the  father  of  Dr. 
James,  the  father  of  Governor  Charles  C.  Stratton,  and  of  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Stratton.  Levi's  brother  John  was  the  father  of 
Nathan  Leake  Stratton,  father  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  Buck 
Stratton  and  Charles  P.  Stratton,  Esq.  Thus,  from  that  Ben- 
jamin, who  was  the  father  of  our  Elder  Levi  Stratton,  have 
descended  all  those  goodly  generations  of  Strattons  that  trace 
their  ancestr}^  backward  to  this  old  church. 

There  is  one  house  in  Fairton  that  has  been,  it  is  thought, 
the  birth-place  of  at  least  three  of  our  ablest  men,  namely  : 
the  Hon.  Jonathan  Ogden,  Judge  Nixon,  and  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Fithian  Garrison,  M.  D.,  D.  D.  The  grandfather  of  the  latter, 
William  Garrison,  was  a  captain  of  New  Jersey  Volunteers 
in  the  revolutionary  army.  His  father  was  Dr.  Charles  Gar- 
rison, who  formerly  practised    here,  and   more   recently  in 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  69 

Swedesborough.  His  mother  was  Hannah  Leake  Fithian, 
daughter  of  Amos  Fithian,  of  Cedarville,  and  his  grand- 
mothers were  sisters,  Ruth  Leake,  who  married  Captain  Wil- 
liam Garrison,  and  Rachel,  who  married  Amos  Fithian. 
Joseph  F.  Garrison  prepared  for  college  mainly  under  the 
Rev.  Samuel  D.  Blythe,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Woodbury,  "  who  illustrated  as  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  as 
well  as  a  true  minister  of  Christ,  the  precept  that  he  very 
often  repeated,  and  always  endeavored  to  live  out :  *  My  boys, 
first  be  Christian  men,  then  be  gentlemen.' "  Mr.  Garrison 
entered  the  Sophomore  class  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey  in 
1839,  and  was  graduated  in  1842,  with  two  above  him  and 
about  seventy  below  him  in  his  class.  He  studied  medicine 
with  his  father  and  with  Drs.  Edward  Pease  and  William 
Pepper,  attending  physicians  of  the  Penns3'lvania  Hospital. 
He  was  also  a  medical  student  in  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, at  which  he  was  graduated  M.  D.  in  1845.  He 
began  the  practice  immediately  in  Swedesborough,  with  his 
father,  where  he  continued  ten  years,  in  the  later  years  study- 
ing divinity  under  the  Rev.  Dr.  Boggs,  as  well  as  practicing 
his  profession.  In  June,  1855,  he  was  ordained  in  Trinity 
Church,  Swedesborough,  a  deacon  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  G.  W.  Doane,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  New 
Jersey.  He  was  soon  after  called  to  the  charge  of  St.  Paul's 
Church,  Camden,  New  Jersey,  and  was  there  ordained  to  the 
priesthood  in  the  following  year.  He  has  ministered  in  this 
church  twenty-five  years,  and  continues  to  be  its  rector.  He 
received  the  honorary  degree  of  D.  D.  at  the  College  of  New 
Jersey,  in  1879.  He  is  also  the  Dean  of  the  Convocation  of 
Burlington,  a  member  of  the  Standing  Committee  of  the  Dio- 
cese, one  of  the  Examining  Chaplains  of  the  Bishop,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  last  three  General  Conventions  of  the  Church 
in  the  United  States.  He  has  been  a  frequent  contributor  to 
the  Reviews  and  other  periodicals  of  the  Church,  published 
occasional  sermons,  patriotic  addresses  and  other  productions 
of  his  pen.     He  married,  April  25,  1848,  Elizabeth  V,  Grant, 


70  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  L.  Grant,  pastor  of  the  Eleventh 
Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia.  Their  eldest  son  was  a 
student  in  the  Department  of  Arts  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  graduated  M.  D.  at  this  University,  in  1872. 
He  practiced  medicine  about  five  years  in  Swedesborough, 
then  studied  law  with  S.  H.  Grey,  Esq.,  of  Camden,  where  he 
is  now  settled  as  a  practicing  lawyer.  Their  second  son, 
William  Halsey  Garrison,  is  a  student  in  Harvard  College, 
The  third  son,  Lindley  Miller  Garrison,  is  a  scholar  in  the 
Academy  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  in  Philadelphia. 
The  fourth  son,  Joseph  Lea  Garrison,  is  at  school  in  Camden. 
The  children  are  all  sons.  Dr.  Garrison's  natural  endow- 
ments, orderly  habits,  persistent  industry,  social  attractions, 
great  scholarship,  high  character  generally,  and  exemplary 
Christian  spirit  and  activities  have  given  him  a  commanding 
position  in  the  Diocese  of  New  Jersey,  and  extended  his  be- 
nign influence  far  beyond  it. 

Another  of  the  strong  men,  whose  birth  and  childhood 
were  here,  but  whom  the  city  has  attracted,  is  the  Hon.  Isaac 
A.  Sheppard,  who  was  born  July  11,  1826.  He  is  the  eldest 
son  of  Ephraim  and  Mar}^  Westcott  Sheppard,  his  mother 
being  a  daughter  of  John  Westcott,  Esq.  His  parents  died 
while  he  was  young,  and  he  entered,  as  an  apprentice,  into 
the  employment  of  Charles  W.  Warnick  &  Co.,  stove  founders, 
Philadelphia,  for  whom  he  worked  until  1859,  when,  with  six 
of  his  fellow- workmen,  he  founded  the  firm  of  Isaac  A.  Shep- 
pard &  Co.  For  two  years  it  was  the  severest  toil,  most 
persistent  effort,  thorough  business  integrity,  and  unsurpassed 
excellence  of  its  productions,  that  sustained  the  house.  Then 
it  began  its  steady  march  in  its  course  of  prosperity  towards 
its  present  place  in  the  foremost  rank.  In  February,  1879, 
one  of  the  original  partners  died,  two  withdrew,  and  Mr. 
Sheppard's  eldest  son  entered  the  firm,  giving  father  and  son 
a  controlling  interest,  but  its  name  and  character  are 
unchanged.  Their  foundry  at  first  was  at  Seventh  street  and 
Girard  avenue.     In  1866  they  purchased  a  block  at  Eastern 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  71 

avenue  and  Chester  street,  Baltimore,  where  they  built  a 
second  large  foundry.  In  1871  they  purchased  the  block  on 
Fourth  street  and  Montgomery  avenue,  Philadelphia,  and 
built  the  most  complete  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the 
United  States.  Their  two  foundries  now  cover  more  than 
five  acres  of  ground,  and  employ  between  three  hundred  and 
four  hundred  men,  and  sell  nearly  seven  hundred  thousand 
dollars'  worth  of  their  manufactures  a  year — more  than  two 
thousand  dollars'  worth  a  day.  The}'-  have  covered  the  site  of 
their  old  foundry  with  stores,  which  are  rented  for  the  sale  of 
dry  goods  and  other  merchandise.  Mr.  Sheppard  served 
three  years  in  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania,  and  became 
a  very  influential  member,  being  indeed  the  last  year,  as 
chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means,  the  leader 
of  the  body.  He  had  a  chief  part  in  devising  and  passing 
the  general  law  respecting  building  associations,  to  the  opera- 
tion of  which  it  is  due  that  Philadelphia  is  superlatively  the 
•city  of  homes.  He  is  the  city's  Trustee  of  the  Northern 
Liberty  Gas  Works,  a  member  of  the  city's  Board  of  Educa- 
tion, a  Director  and  Vice  President  of  the  National  Security 
Bank,  an  active  member  of  the  Union  League  from  the  begin- 
ning of  its  history,  a  prominent  officer  in  the  Masonic  Order. 
As  Grand  Master  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  in  the  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  he  has  had  the  largest  jurisdiction  in  the 
Order,  comprising  a  membership  of  nearly  one  hundred 
thousand  men ;  he  represents  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  in 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States.  He  is  an  active  and 
influential  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  being 
a  vestryman  of  Zion  Church  and  the  suj)erintendent  of  its 
Sabbath  School.  He  is  usually  a  member  of  the  annual  Con- 
vention of  the  diocese  of  Pennsylvania.  He  has  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  as  kindly  and  generous  as  he  is  energetic  and 
trustworthy.  He  married  Caroline  Mary  Holmes,  February 
5, 1850.  Their  surviving  children  are  three  sons.  The  eldest, 
Franklin  Lawrence  Sheppard,  was  born  in  1852,  graduated  at 
University  of   Pennsylvania   at  the  head  of  his  class   and 


72  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

with  the  highest  honors,  in  1872 ;  was  forthwith  employed 
in  his  father's  business,  and  admitted  as  a  partner  in  the 
firm  in  February,  1879,  married  five  years  since,  has  three 
children,  and  resides  in  Baltimore,  where  he  has  special 
charge  of  the  business  of  the  firm  in  that  city.  The  other 
sons  are  younger  and  in  school. 

Other  rich  and  wholesome  fruit  of  this  congregation  may 
be  seen  by  a  visit  to  Clayton,  New  Jersey.  In  the  list  of  two 
hundred  and  eleven  names  of  men  who  are  or  have  been 
Trustees  of  this  church  since  its  incorporation,  August  4, 
1783,  is  the  name  of  William  Moore ;  and  it  would  not  be 
amiss  for  us,  while  he  is  in  our  grateful  remembrance  for 
other  good  deeds,  to  be  specially  thankful,  that  he  has  given 
to  the  Church  and  the  country  his  two  sons,  John  M.  Moore 
and  D.  Wilson  Moore,  who,  at  the  head  of  a  large  manufac- 
turing establishment,  know  how  to  be  diligent  in  business 
and  at  the  same  time  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord. 

This  spirit  has  been  characteristic  of  many  of  the  Fairfield 
people,  for  example,  the  Lawrences :  Nathan,  who  came  from 
Long  Island,  his  two  sons,  Nathan  and  our  Elder  Jonathan, 
and  Jonathan's  son,  our  Elder  Norton,  and  this  good  Elder's 
sons,  Norton  Ogden,  Lorenzo,  Dr.  Leonard  and  Lemuel,  and 
many  of  their  children.  Fifty  and  sixty  years  ago,  Norton 
O.  and  his  wife,  Phoebe,  the  daughter  of  Major  Ephraim 
Buck,  were  specially  active  in  the  establishment  and  improve- 
ment of  Sabbath  Schools.  What  a  divine  light  irradiated 
their  faces  one  day  in  May,  fifty  years  ago,  when  they  saw 
this  house  thronged,  and  crowded,  and  packed  full  in  every 
part  with  the  united  schools  of  Jones'  Island,  Cedar ville^ 
Fairton  and  Back  Neck,  of  whom  a  few  now  here  were  then 
a  small  part.  It  was  the  first  great  Sabbath  School  meeting 
held  in  the  township. 

Among  the  good  boys  of  the  congregation  who  were  in 
that  grand  Sabbath  School  celebration,  when  this  house 
probably  contained  eight  hundred  persons,  it  is  most  likely 
that  Ethan  Osborn  Bennett  had  a  place.     His  Bennett  ances- 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  73 

tors  here  were  Samuel,  who  built  the  saw  mill  and  flour  mill 
at  Bennett  Town  ;  Nathan,  who  was  born  November  5,  1752, 
and  died  June  22,  1818,  and  Nathan's  son,  who  was  born 
January  18,  1785,  and  died  in  Crawfordsville,  Indiana,  Janu- 
ary 4,  1866,  where  his  wife,  Esther  Elmer,  born  November 
29,  1787,  also  died,  December  17, 1859.  This  father  of  Ethan 
Osborn  Bennett  was  for  a  long  time  an  Elder  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  Ethan  Osborn  Bennett  pursued  his  collegiate 
studies  in  the  Rev.  Dr.  David  Nelson's  Institute,  Quincy,  Illi- 
nois, and  his  theological  course  partly  in  Yale  College  and 
partly  in  Oberlin  College,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  1853,  and  soon  after  became  the  minister  of  Anamosa, 
Iowa.  There  he  married,  November  7,  1854,  Laura  A.  Pul- 
sifer,  of  Westfield,  Massachusetts.  They  have  one  son  and 
three  daughters,  and  all  the  children  live  with  their  parents 
in  Brighton,  Iowa. 

Another  good  minister,  of  Fairfield  blood  and  birth,  is  J. 
Napier  Husted,  son  of  Elijah  and  his  wife,  Clarissa  Buck. 
He  was  graduated  at  Lafayette  College  in  1849,  and  studied 
theology  in  Princeton  Seminary,  and  has  been  the  minister 
of  Flanders,  New  Jersey,  and  of  Zion,  Maryland ;  and  for 
some  years  past  he  has  been  the  pastor  at  Liberty,  New  York, 
where  he  is  now  the  faithful  bishop  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church. 

Fifty  years  since,  the  most  conspicuous  men  in  Fairton, 
and  chiefs  in  this  congregation,  were  John  Trenchard  and 
William  D.  Barrett.  No  matter  how  many  places  claim  to  be 
the  very  spot  of  his  birth,  it  is  evident  that  John  Trenchard 
first  saw  the  light  within  the  limits  of  this  congregation,  for 
Bridgeton  had  no  church  until  1792,  and  John  Trenchard 
was  born  July  21,  1783.  He  made  himself  prosperous  as 
blacksmith,  farmer,  merchant,  vessel-owner,  mill-owner.  Soon 
after  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  married,  October  8, 
1803,  Eleanor  Davis,  who  bore  him  seven  children ;  and  after 
her  death  he  married,  in  1816,  Hannah  L.  Pierson,  and  they 
had  seven  children  who  survived  him  when  he  died,  in  1863. 


74  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

His  father,  John,  was  a  cousin  of  Commodore  Edward  Trench- 
ard  and  of  Rear  Admiral  Stephen  Decatur  Trenchard.  The 
family  is  old  and  honorable  in  this  State.  One  of  his  sons  is 
Dr.  John  F.  Trenchard,  of  Philadelphia ;  another  is  our  Elder, 
Theophilus  Trenchard,  now  living  in  Bridgeton.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Legislature,  active  in  public  affairs,  attentive 
to  business,  social  in  disposition,  keen  and  witty,  kindly  and 
generous.  His  prosperity  was  greatly  due  to  his  foresight, 
energy  and  thorough  honesty. 

The  other  magnate  of  the  village  of  Fairton,  in  those  days, 
was  William  D.  Barrett,  who  was  born  near  Shiloh,  in  this 
county,  February  12,  1791.  Both  his  parents  died  when  he 
was  a  child.  He  lived  during  his  boyhood  in  Newport,  in 
Downe  township,  which  was  originally  withi^i  the  bounds  of 
our  township  of  Fairfield.  He  there  attended  the  common 
school  three  months.  This  was  the  whole  of  his  education  in 
school.  He  became,  in  his  early  manhood,  a  merchant  in 
Fairton,  and  on  the  15th  of  March,  1815  married  Bathsheba 
Harris.  It  is  believed  that  they  were  generally  regarded  as 
the  handsomest  young  husband  and  wife  that  appeared 
together  in  this  house  every  Sabbath  in  the  boasted  days 
of  old.  He  acquired,  before  he  reached  middle-age,  a  good 
English  education,  was  the  postmaster  of  the  village  many 
years,  became  very  familiar  with  the  Bible  and  the  statute 
laws  of  the  State,  represented  the  county  as  a  member  of  the 
State  Legislature,  was  more  than  thirty  years  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  was  for  fifteen  years  an  associate  county  Judge. 
He  never  ceased  to  be  an  attractive  looking  man,  with  regular 
features,  dark,  bright  eyes,  and  dignified  manners.  His 
height  was  six  feet,  and  at  seventy -five  years  of  age  his  weight 
was  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  pounds.  He  died  April  10, 
1867,  in  his  seventy-seventh  year.  The  venerable  widow  sur- 
vives in  her  eighty-eighth  year,  and  resides  in  the  old  home- 
stead. 

The  fruit  which  this  garden  of  the  Lord  has  already  yielded 
is  abundant  and  precious.     There  are  many  other  worthies 


DR.  WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  75 

who  have  passed  away  that  well  deserve  commemoration,  and 
the  recital  of  their  virtues  would  greatly  adorn  our  annals,  as 
their  lives  have  enriched  the  place  of  our  birth.  There  is  a 
goodly  company  of  daughters,  wives,  and  mothers,  who  have 
well  fulfilled  their  providential  and  reasonable  vocation, 
and  done  more  to  promote  the  intelligence,  prosperity,  dis- 
tinction and  piety  of  our  town  and  congregation  than 
our  most  conspicuous  citizens  have  ever  accomplished. 
Their  virtues  and  graces  have  not  been  loudly  blazoned 
abroad,  but  they  have  themselves  endured  toils  and  cares 
for  the  good  of  others.  They  have  shown  dexterity  and  tact  in 
a  thousand  ways.  Their  diligence  and  economy  have  been 
the  prosperity  of  their  households.  Their  endurance  and 
patience  have  been  as  unfailing  as  their  days.  Their  for- 
bearance has  been  the  bond  of  peace  for  homes  and  for  whole 
neighborhoods.  Their  sympathy  has  brought  good  cheer  into 
the  very  shades  of  death,  and  turned  the  darkest  midnight 
into  the  light  and  the  glow  of  the  morning.  Their  devotion 
and  charity  have  baptized  the  place  of  their  abode  with  the 
priceless  blessings  of  Heaven.  The  chief  incitement  to  all 
commendable  progress  has  been  their  excellence,  their  aspi- 
ration and  hope,  their  faith  and  love,  their  zeal  and  piety. 
Through  all  our  history,  they  have  been  the  heart  of  the 
social  body.  Their  worth  has  been  the  life-blood  of  the  whole 
frame,  and  had  there  been  no  rich  and  perpetual  supplies 
from  their  superior  goodness,  there  would  have  been,  not 
health  and  vigor  in  every  part,  but  social,  moral  and  spiritual 
death. 

It  remains  for  the  future — mainly  for  those  who  are  now 
young — to  determine  whether  our  history  in  the  years  to 
come  shall  yield  better  and  more  abundant  fruits  than  the 
past  has  produced.  One  thing  is  certain  ;  it  is  by  the  more 
thorough  application  of  Christian  truth  and  principle  to  all 
the  conduct  of  life  that  we  may  expect  the  harvest  of  the  fu- 
ture to  be  more  plentiful  and  excellent  than  the  past  has 
reaped. 


REV.   ETHAN   OSBORN, 

Taken  at  the  age  of  97. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

BY   REV,    SAMUEL    R.    ANDERSON. 


DATE    OF    THE   CHURCH. 

In  the  history  of  Cumberland  county,  b}^  the  Hon.  L.  Q. 
C.  Elmer,  the  organization  of  this  church  is  fixed  at  about 
1690 — few  years  previous  to  its  first  mention  on  record.* 
This  seems  to  me  very  probable,  for  the  following  reasons : 

First.  There  is  a  tradition  that  the  first  settlers  brought  a 
minister  with  them,  which  was  in  keeping  with  the  Puritan 
custom.  This  tradition  was  believed  by  Ephraim  Harris, 
who  was  born  in  1731.  As  this  is  but  forty-one  years  later 
than  its  organization,  doubtless  several  of  the  original  mem- 
bers were  living  in  his  boyhood.  If  this  tradition  be  true 
the  organization  might  have  been  still  earlier  than  1600. 

Secondly.  The  Baptist  portion  of  the  colonists  founded  a 
a  church  at  Roadstown,  at  this  date.  As  the  pedo-Baptist 
portion  are  known  to  have  been  the  "  more  considerable  "  in 
numbers,  it  is  not  probable  that  they  were  later  than  their 
brethren  in  founding  their  church. 


♦This  record  is  a  provincial  law  of  1697.  which  enacts  :  "That  the  tract  of  land 
on  Cohansey  purchased  bv  several  people,  latel}'  inhabitants  from  Fairfield,  in  New 
England,  from  and  after  "the  date  hereof,  be  erected  into  a  township  and  be  called 
Fairfield." 


78  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

ITS    NAME. 

Its  charter  designation  is,  "The  Presbyterian  Congregation 
at  Fairfield."  Its  familiar  and  endeared  name  is,  "The  Old 
Stone  Church."  By  inheritance  it  is  the  "  Old  Christ's 
Church  "  on  the  Cohansey  river ;  the  "  Old  Fairfield,"  and 
the  "  Old  New  England  Town  "  church.  In  its  relation  to 
the  nation  it  might  be  called  with  propriety  the  "  Church 
of  the  Revolution."  The  pains  that  gave  birth  to  the  nation 
were  now  severely  felt  and  retarded  its  construction. 

Again,  it  might  be  christened  "  Father  Osborn's  Church." 
Of  the  sixty-five  years  of  active  pastorates,  all  but  ten  found 
him  its  constant  occupant.  From  his  lips  the  gospel  "was 
preached.  Through  his  ministrations  the  lamp  of  this  sanc- 
tuary went  not  out.  Half  of  the  other  ten  years  he  was  also 
present  as  a  worshipper,  and  frequently  took  some  part  with 
the  pastor. 

THE    BUILDING. 

Before  a  house  like  this  invites  a  congregation  to  enter 
and  consecrate  it  to  the  service  of  Almighty  God  in  prayer, 
in  psalms  and  sound  of  the  silver  trumpet,  there  is  a  history. 
If  we  go  a  mile  north-west  to  the  old  New  England  town 
cross-roads,  on  the  last  Sabbath  of  August,  1780,  under  the 
"great  oak  "  (whose  stump  can  still  be  seen),  we  find  a  con- 
gregation worshipping.  From  the  Rev.  William  Hollings- 
head,  who  becomes  the  first  pastor  here,  we  learn  that  in  1778 
it  consisted  of  pastor,  seven  ruling  elders,  one  of  whom  is 
also  a  deacon,  and  ninety-four  members.  From  several 
independent  witnesses,  this  people  are  represented  as  among 
the  best  in  this  section  of  the  country.  I  will  add  one  which 
I  have  not  seen  in  print : 

Mr.  Griffith,  a  traveling  preacher  in  the  Society  of 
Friends,  in  his  journal,  states  that  he  held  a  meeting  among 
the  Presbyterians  of  New  England  Town ;  that  the  pastor. 
Rev.  William  Ramsay,  and  most  of  his  people  attended,  and 
"  behaved  in  a  solid  and  respectable  manner." 


DR.   WHITAKERS  ADDRESS.  79 

In  1775,  they  had  it  in  mind  to  build  a  new  church,  and 
subscriptions  were  taken.  Theophilus  Elmer  was  the  treas- 
urer and  managing  spirit.  He  looked  after  the  workmen, 
paid  the  bills,  and  seems  to  have  engaged  actively  in  the 
work. 

The  well  was  the  first  work  finished.  Was  this  symbolic 
or  prophetic  of  the  living  fountain,  of  which  so  many  after- 
ward were  to  drink  so  freely  ?  In  1775,  there  were  upwards 
of  one  hundred  and  eighty-nine  loads  of  stone  and  eight 
hundred  feet  of  lumber  placed  on  the  ground. 

The  claims  of  the  country  called  away  the  men,  and  laid 
upon  them  extraordinary  burdens  which  delayed  the  building 
four  years. 

In  1780,  the  following  subscription  paper  w^as  circulated  : 

SUBSCRIPTION    FOR    BUILDING   MEETING   HOUSE. 

"We,  the  subscribers,  whose  names  are  hereunto  annexed, 
do  each  and  every  of  us,  bind  ourselves,  our  heirs,  executors 
and  administrators  to  pay  or  cause  to  be  paid,  unto  the 
person  or  persons  appointed  or  to  be  appointed  as  managers 
for  building  said  house,  the  several  sums  annexed  to  our 
names,  to  be  paid  either  in  labor  or  materials  necessary  to  be 
used  in  the  building,  at  the  same  price  that  articles  of  the 
like  quality  might  have  been  purchased  for  in  the  year  1774, 
to  be  applied  in  building  a  house  on  the  aforesaid  lot  of 
ground  where  the  materials  are  provided  for  building  the 
same. 

The  one-half  to  be  paid  at  any  time,  when  the  congregation 
shall  think  proper  to  proceed  to  build,  and  the  other  half  to 
be  paid  when  the  walls  shall  be  finished,  which,  if  not  paid 
in  labour  or  materials  as  aforesaid,  then  we  do  hereby  engage 
to  pay  the  same  in  money,  allowing  the  year  1774  as  the 
standard,  at  such  a  sum  as  shall  make  up  the  depreciation  at 
the  time  the  money  shall  be  called  for  and  paid.  In  testi- 
mony of  all  which  we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands,  with  the 
several  sums  thereunto  annexed." 


80  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

N.  B.  What  money  has  been  paid  by  any  subscriber,  to  be 
deducted  out  of  his  subscription,  when  payment  is  made." 

Then  follows  the  names  with  the  amounts.  Jonathan 
Elmer  is  the  largest  subscriber,  £40.  Theodotia  Anderson  is 
second,  £37,  10s,  the  whole  amounting  to  £488,  17s,  lOd,  so 
far  as  recorded. 

As  peculiarities  of  the  times,  I  might  mention  that  Esther 
Meek  contributed  three  half  Joes,  Eleazer  Smith  two  15  shil- 
ling bills.  Others  contributed  cattle,  sheep,  geese,  feathers, 
etc.  A  public  vendue  was  held  at  which  these  were  sold. 
Many  worked  out  their  subscriptions,  some  travelling  six  and 
eight  miles  to  tend  mason  and  do  other  work. 

Like  the  builders  of  the  second  Temple  the}^  brought  their 
weapons  of  war  for  defence  in  case  of  attack,  and  like  it  this 
Temple  stands  to-day,  the  monument  of  a  poor  but  pious  peo- 
ple, that  had  a  mind  to  work,  and  wrought  with  their  own 
hands. 

The  first  stone  was  laid  May  1st,  1780,  and  the  walls  up 
and  roof  on  June  14th.  The  first  sermon  was  preached  in 
the  church  Sept.  7th,  but  it  was  not  completed  till  1781. 

As  we  look  upon  it  a  century  ago  to-day,  we  see  these  walls, 
this  floor,  these  brick  aisles,  but  without  chimney,  and  per- 
haps without  these  seats  or  gallery.  It  is  quite  probable 
they  brought  the  benches  and  desk  used  in  the  former  church 
and  under  the  oak,  over  here,  and  made  them  do  temporary 
service  for  a  few  months.  There  was  no  provision  for  heating 
for  about  eight  years,  except  as  any  one  might  bring  heated 
blocks  or  the  foot-stove. 

September  18th,  1781,  the  congregation  met  and  formed 
rules  and  rates  for  the  pews.  One  hundred  pounds  was 
raised  on  the  seats.  The  pews  were  sold  to  the  highest  bidder 
and  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  family  and  heirs  as 
long  as  the  annual  rate  was  paid. 

The  deed  was  recorded  May  18th,  1775,  at  Burlington.  An 
act  of  incorporation  was  passed  June  11th,  1783,  by  the  State 
Legislature.     This  act  required  of  the  trustees   the  oath  of 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  81 

abjuration  of  the  British  rule,  the  oath  of  allegiance,  and  to 
faithfully  perform  their  duties.  This  continued  in  force  till 
1865.  By  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature,  obtained  through 
James  Campbell,  Esq.,  they  were  relieved  of  this  formality. 

On  the  8th  of  August,  1800,  the  trustees  purchased  one  and 
three-fourths  acres  to  enlarge  the  graveyard. 

On  the  24th  of  October,  1810,  the  trustees  obtained  a  deed 
from  James  D.  Westcott,  as  agent  of  John  Bellers,  of  London, 
Great  Britain,  confirming  the  right  and  title  of  this  congre- 
gation to  the  possession  of  three  acres  of  land,  commonly 
called  "  the  old  burial  ground,"  purchased  originally  on  the 
10th  of  June,  1747 ;  recorded  the  5tli  of  June,  1811,  in  the 
Clerk's  office  of  Cumberland  county,  book  S  of  deeds,  pages. 
256-258. 

On  the  2d  of  April,  1816,  the  trustees  purchased  one  and' 
eighty -four  one-hundredths  acres  to  enlarge  the  graveyard. 
These  several  purchases  make  the  cemetery  at  the  Stone 
Church  contain  five  and  three-fifths  acres. 

In  1785,  the  trustees  adopted  a  rule  that  any  member 
absent  from  their  meeting  should  be  fined  a  sum  not  exceed- 
ing five  shillings.  If  a  satisfactory  reason  was  assigned  at 
the  following  meeting  the  fine  was  remitted. 

Another  rule  was  that  they  became  responsible  for  debts 
that  had  run  a  year  after  they  became  due,  unless  they  were 
voted  lost  by  the  person  having  become  insolvent. 

This  had  the  effect  of  hurrying  up  collections.  In  some 
cases  they  took  legal  steps  to  collect  pew-rents.  After  the 
parsonage  and  plantation  in  Sayre's  Neck  were  sold,  a  rule 
was  adopted  not  to  loan  money  without  interest,  and  to  re- 
quire double  the  amount  as  security. 

At  first  the  session  only  recorded  their  minutes  when  there 
was  a  case  of  discipline,  or  some  unusual,  occasion  for  its 
meeting.  From  May,  1783,  the  time  of  Mr.  Hollinghead's 
withdrawal,  till  1790,  we  have  no  records  of  session.  The 
five  years  previous  to  the  coming  of  Mr.  Osborn,  we  know 
not  who  preached,  how  often  they  were  supplied,  or  whether 
6 


82  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

the  sacraments  were  administered.  They  doubtless  had 
occasional  supplies,  but  the  church  languished. 

At  this  time  many  of  our  churches  were  in  a  very  sad 
condition.  The  trustees  were  regularly  elected  and  qualified, 
(that  is,  took  the  oath),  but  little  is  recorded  of  what  was 
done,  except  to  rent  the  parsonage  and  collect  a  little  money^ 
which  seems  to  have  been  given  with  reluctance. 

We  come  now  to  the  man  whose  name  and  influence  has 
given  permanence  and  fragrance  to  this  hallowed  house.  It 
is  "Father  Osborn"  that  has  bound  your  hearts  together,  and 
whose  bonds  these  passing  years  have  not  been  able  to  dis- 
solve. There  was  a  brief  and  brilliant  ministry  before ;  there 
was  a  similar  one  that  followed  ;  but  the  central  orb  that  has 
attracted  and  brought  you  together  to-day  is  the  "  Old  Man 
Beloved."  He  is  as  really  present  to  your  minds  as  the 
masonry  of  these  walls. 

For  a  full  account  of  this  man  and  his  work  we  refer  the 
reader  to  the  volume  entitled  "The  Pastor  of  the  Old  Stone 
Church,"  containing  Mr.  Hotchkin's  Memorial,. Judge  Elmer's 
Eulogy,  and  Mr.  Burt's  Address. 

It  seems  appropriate  that  extended  quotations  from  this 
volume  should  be  made  to  set  forth  this  portion  of  the  history, 
which  I  take  the  liberty  of  doing. 

The  Rev.  Ethan  Osborn  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Connecti- 
cut, August  21st,  1758.  Little  is  known  of  his  early  life, 
except  what  is  preserved  in  his  own  manuscript  sermons. 
From  two,  preached  in  1822,  we  have  the  following  record  : 

He  had  religious  parents,  was  instructed  in  the  scriptures, 
habituated  to  attend  public  worship  and  the  common  educa- 
tional privileges. 

He  dates  the  impressions  on  his  heart  which  resulted  in 
his  conversion,  to  the  ninth  or  twelfth  year  of  his  age,  and 
experienced  a  constant  and  growing  interest  in  his  soul's 
eternal  interests. 

He  confesses,  however,  that  "  scarcely,  if  ever,  do  I  feel  that 
assurance  of  salvation  which  I  desire."     It  was  the  "  amiable 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  83 

excellency  of  the  Saviour/'  unclouding  itself  to  his  view,  that 
resulted  in  the  positive  faith, "  I  know  that  my  Redeemer 
liveth." 

"  While  at  college,  at  Dartmouth,  he  was  admitted  to  full 
communion  with  the  Congregational  Church  there."  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  enlisted  in  the  second  year  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  and  was  with  the  forces  under  the  immediate 
command  of  Washington,  in  the  retreat  through  New  Jersey. 

He  studied  theology  under  the  Rev.  Andrew  Storrs,  of 
Plymouth,  Conn.,  and  his  cousin,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Vaill,  of 
Hadlyme,  in  the  same  State,  and  was  licensed  to  preach  in 
1780.  He  received  a  call  to  Sjiencertown,  N.  Y.,  which  he 
declined,  and,  in  the  Providence  of  God,  made  a  journey  on 
horseback  to  South  Jersey. 

After  preaching  the  usual  time  of  trial,  this  church  gave 
him  a  call  and  he  was  ordained  and  installed  the  3d  of  De- 
cember, 1789,  by  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia. 

At  this  time  the  congregation  was  scattered  through  the 
w^hole  of  Fairfield  township,  and  parts  of  the  adjoining  town- 
ships of  Downe  and  Deerfield,  including  a  portion  of  the  peo- 
ple of  Bridgeton,  where,  as  yet,  there  was  no  church  of  any 
denomination.  The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Osborn  was  like  his  gen- 
eral life,  tranquil  and  marked  chiefly  by  revivals. 

He  has  left  on  record,  repeatedly,  the  sense  of  obligation  he 
felt  for  the  cooperation  and  assistance  he  received  from  the 
session.  In  1790  the  number  was  raised  to  nine,  which  he 
seemed  to  regard  as  the  standard.  As  members  died  or 
moved  away,  others  were  chosen,  keeping  up  this  number 
till  near  the  close  of  his  ministry.  The  list,  as  given  by  Mr. 
Hotchkin,  needs  to  be  corrected  by  the  addition  of  the  names 
of  John  Ogden  and  David  Harris,  who  were  ordained  and 
installed  in  1803. 

As  was  customary  in  those  times,  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  was  administered  but  twice  in  the  year,  in 
May  and  October.  In  1806  it  was  changed  to  three  times, 
which  practice  continued  down  to  the  pastorate  of   D.  C. 


84  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

Meeker,  when  the  present  custom  of  observing  it  four  times 
a  year  was  introduced. 

It  was  long  a  standing  rule  for  the  session  to  meet  three 
weeks  before  communion,  at  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  In 
the  earlier  history,  discipline  was  more  frequently  adminis- 
tered. Matters  that  would  now  be  taken  to  a  civil  court, 
were  then  adjudicated  by  the  session.  Usually  they  sub- 
mitted to  its  decision.  I  notice  settlements  of  damages  and 
a  case  of  breach  of  promise.  Offences,  such  as  breaking  the 
Sabbath,  neglect  of  the  ordinances,  absence  from  public 
worship,  omitting  to  have  their  children  baptized,  were 
matters  that  were  carefully  attended  to,  as  well  as  intemper- 
ance and  grosser  offences.  The  pastor  has  recorded  the  fact, 
that  the  intoxicating  cup  was  the  chief  cause  that  called  for 
discipline. 

To  show  the  valuable  assistance  rendered  by  the  session, 
in  furthering  the  spiritual  interests,  I  quote  the  following 
from  the  pastor:  "I  now  speak  it  as  my  candid  opinion, 
that  in  any  revival  of  religion,  the  ministry  is  only  one 
among  many  agencies  which  coequally  operate  in  promoting 
the  blessed  work  of  God.  If  a  lay  brother  is  active  in  prayer 
and  exhortation,  the  people  are  more  impressed  with  his 
sincerity,  so  that  what  he  says  and  does  may  have  more 
influence  on  their  minds.  And  not  a  little  have  my  Chris- 
tian brethren  and  sisters,  as  agents  under  God,  contributed 
to  maintain  and  promote  the  blessed  religion  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  I  thank  them  for  their  labors  of  love,  and  I 
thank  my  God  for  moving  them  to  labor.  Mine  exhortation 
to  them  is,  not  to  be  weary  in  well-doing,  for  in  due  season 
they  shall  reap  a  glorious  harvest."  To  indicate  the  sub- 
stance of  his  preaching,  I  quote  from  a  charge  he  delivered 
at  Cape  May,  when  Mr.  Edwards  was  ordained,  some  time 
previous  to  1809. 

"  Preach  the  law  and  preach  the  gospel.  Preach  the  law 
in  all  its  strictness  and  spirituality,  as  an  external  rule  of 
right,  binding  on  every  moral  agent,  and  as  covering  all  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH  85 

exercises  of  the  mind  as  well  as  outward  actions,  requiring 
perfect  and  perpetual  obedience  in  every  act,  word  and 
thought,  on  pain  of  condemnation.  And  make  close  appli- 
cation to  the  conscience  for  the  conviction  of  impenitent 
sinners,  to  make  them  duly  sensible  of  their  sin,  and  to  make 
them  feel  as  if  standing  in  the  Day  of  Judgment." 

"  But  not  confining  yourself  to  the  law,  preach  the  gospel. 
Hold  up  the  blessed  remedy  it  provides  for  guilty,  perishing 
sinners.  Preach  Christ  and  Him  crucified,  in  all  His  fullness 
and  freeness  to  save.  Preach  Him  in  all  His  offices  and 
sacred  characters,  as  the  way  and  only  way  to  the  Father 
through  whom  alone  we  can  be  redeemed  from  the  curse  of 
the  law,  and  obtain  salvation.  Show  His  ability  and  willing- 
ness to  save  all  who  come  to  Him  believing,  and  also  the 
necessity  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  influence  to  enable  and  dispose 
them  to  come  believing.  Show  the  happy  consequences  of 
belief,  and  the  fatal  consequences  of  resisting  the  Spirit's 
influence  and  remaining  in  a  state  of  impenitency  and  unbe- 
lief. Do  not  confine  yourself  to  general  doctrines  and  truths. 
Descend  frequently  to  particulars,  that  so  you  may  touch  the 
particular  cases  of  your  different  hearers.  And  let  your  prac- 
tice correspond  with  your  preaching.  Pay  a  proper  respect  to 
the  discipline  of  the  church  to  purify  and  build  it  up.  And 
in  all  things  approve  thyself  a  minister  of  God,  in  much 
patience  and  perseverance  in  the  blessed  work  to  which  thou 
hast  devoted  thyself." 

To  show  his  style  the  following  is  taken  from  one  of  his 
autobiographical  discourses : 

"  You  know  after  what  manner  of  style  I  have  preached 
to  you,  that  it  has  been  a  simple  and  plain  style. 

Though  I  might  have  used  a  more  elegant,  learned  or  sub- 
lime style,  yet  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  follow  the  example  of 
Paul  in  speaking  to  you  with  great  plainness  of  speech.  For 
the  design  of  preaching  is  to  convey  ideas,  and  give  instruc- 
tion and  knowledge  to  the  hearer.  But  if  my  language  is 
above  the  understanding  of  many  hearers  I  might  as  well 


86  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

preach  to  them  in  Greek  or  Hebrew.  And,  therefore,  to  speak 
the  truth  has  been  my  first  object,  and  next  to  speak  it  in 
such  language  as  to  be  intelligible  or  easily  understood.  I 
have  been  all  along  sensible  that  by  using  such  a  plain  style, 
I  have  sacrificed  my  reputation  for  learning ;  but  this  is  a 
matter  of  little  consequence.  I  ought  not  to  care  whether  I 
am  thought  learned  or  ignorant,  if  I  can  but  promote  your 
Christian  knowledge  and  be  a  helj^er  of  your  faith." 

With  another  quotation  from  a  sermon  descriptive  of  his 
pastoral  work,  a  pretty  accurate  view  of  this  herald  of  the 
cross  and  Christain  shepherd  will  be  obtained. 

"  In  the  first  I  aimed  to  represent  religion  as  the  most 
important  of  all  things  with  which  we  have  any  concern, 
and  that  it  ought  to  be  the  chief  object  of  our  desire  and  pur- 
suit. As  we  are  fallen,  depraved  creatures,  I  urged  the 
necessity  of  a  change,  by  the  renewing  and  sanctifying  influ- 
ence of  God's  Spirit.  I  urged  it  home  to  the  conscience  by 
this  serious  question — 'Do  you  really  think  you  have  exper- 
ienced such  a  change,  or  possess  true  gospel  religion  ?'  When 
the  answer  was  in  the  affirmative,  I  reminded  them  of  their 
constant  need  of  the  grace  of  Christ  to  keep  them  in  such  a 
state,  and  their  obligation  to  live  near  to  God,  by  walking  as 
Christ  walked." 

"  When  the  answer  was  in  the  negative,  I  reminded  them 
of  the  lamentable  character  of  a  conclusion  and  their  gloomy 
prospect  beyond  the  grave.  I  solemnl}'^  warned  them  of  the 
danger  of  resting  there,  and  exhorted  them  immediately  to 
seek  for  mercy.  After  mentioning  some  essential  duties, 
such  as  repentance,  faith,  love  and  obedience,  I  spoke  of 
the  relative  duties  of  parents  and  children,  and  urged  on 
parents  and  guardians  the  important  duty  of  bringing  up 
their  children  in  the  fear  of  God.  After  this  I  led  on  the 
conversation  to  the  duty  of  family  prayer  and  inquired 
whether  it  was  performed  in  the  family.  After  this,  I  turned 
my  conversation  to  the  children  and  others  present.     Here  I 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH  87 

urged  "the  importance  of  obtaining  religion  in  early  life,  as 
youth  is  the  most  favorable  time  for  it." 

In  addition,  he  was  accustomed  to  visit  the  public  schools 
and  catechise  the  children  in  the  shorter  catechism,  as  well  as 
the  Bible. 

For  twenty  years  such  labors  were  constantly  and  faithfully 
performed  with  only  the  ordinar}''  ingatherings,  the  members 
added  making  up  about  the  number  that  died  and  moved  to 
other  places.  In  the  year  1809  occurred  the  first  of  a  num- 
ber of  revivals  of  great  power  and  blessed  influences.  This 
was  preceded  by  monthly  meetings  of  four  ministers,  Mr. 
Osborn,  Mr.  Freeman,  Mr.  Davis  and  one  unknown,  com- 
menced at  Fairfield,  December,  1808.  The  next  at  Bridgeton, 
and  third  at  Deerfield.  He  says,  "  he  and  Mr.  Freeman  made 
a  preaching  tour  of  three  days ;  preached  successively  at  Allo- 
way's  Creek,  Pittsgrove  and  Deerfield,  and  talk  of  taking 
another  after  awhile.  The  four  agreed  to  preach  at  seven 
places,  mostly  in  the  outposts  of  our  congregations,  on  that 
same  day  and  hour,  at  four  of  the  places,  and  about  once 
a  fortnight  by  rotation.  The  general  object  was  the  promo- 
tion of  religion." 

Mr.  Osborn  gives  the  following  account  of  this  revival : 
"Through  the  summer  and  fall  of  1809,  a  general  awakening 
to  the  concerns  of  the  eternal  world  prevailed  among  the  peo- 
ple. Conferences  or  prayer  meetings  were  held  in  different 
parts  of  the  congregation,  not  less  than  six  or  seven  evenings 
in  the  week.  It  was  truly  a  revival  time,  both  to  saints  and 
sinners ;  the  spirit  of  grace  was  poured  upon  each  ;  some  were 
severely  experienced  and  brought  into  deep  distress.  Others 
were  exercised  in  a  mild  manner.  Though  there  were  divers 
operations,  yet  the  same  God  wrought  in  all.  In  a  few 
months  a  considerable  number  entertained  a  hope,  and, 
thanks  to  God !  He  continued  His  gracious  work  for  many 
months.  On  December  3d,  1809,  just  twenty  years  from  my 
ordination,  twenty-four  were  admitted  to  the  church.  In 
April,  1810,  thirty  were  admitted  to  full  communion.     In 


88  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

August  following,  twenty-seven  more,  and  small  numbers  at 
the  two  communions  following,  so  that  in  the  space  of  two 
years  there  were  added  to  this  church  one  hundred  and 
twelve.  The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us,  and  blessed 
be  His  name.  Though  various  means  were  used,  yet  it  was 
evident  the  excellency  of  the  power  was  of  God  and  not  of 
man.  This  appears  from  the  great  change  wrought,  and  the 
good  fruit  following.  Though  I  was  not  idle  during  the  revi- 
val, yet  it  seemed  as  if  I  was  a  spectator,  beholding  the  won- 
derful operation  of  divine  grace  convincing  and  converting 
sinners.  My  brethren  of  the  session  were  alive  and  diligent 
in  prayer  and  religious  conversation,  and  perhaps  I  may 
have  aided,  in  some  measure,  the  good  work  of  the  Lord. 
But  I  was  only  one  among  a  multitude  of  agents  who  were 
active  in  the  same  employ.  Truly  my  soul  rejoiced  to  see 
many  return  unto  the  Lord  and  enlist  under  the  banner  of 
King  Jesus." 

This  revival  was  followed  with  good  influences  and  fidelity 
on  the  part  of  the  members  with  "  no  remarkable  occur- 
rences until  the  year  1819."  A  second  revival  season  was 
now  enjoyed,  beginning  with  a  prayer  meeting  at  Sayre's 
Neck,  but  extending  throughout  the  congregation,  and  resulted 
in  adding  fifty-six  souls  to  the  church  membership. 

Again,  in  1826,  another  extensive  work  of  grace  was 
enjoyed.  The  following  account  of  it  is  preserved  in  a  letter 
of  Mr.  Osborn,  written  (to  his  brother,  Capt.  Eliada  Osborn, 
of  Litchfield),  May  19th,  1827  : 

"  The  Lord,  we  believe,  has  been  carrying  on  a  wonderful, 
gracious  work  among  us  since  last  November.  There  seemed 
to  be  some  unusual  seriousness  among  the  people  through  the 
fall,  and  nine  were  added  to  the  church  on  the  first  Sabbath 
of  December.  From  that  time  a  general  awakening  seemed 
to  prevail,  and  a  wonderful  spirit  of  prayer  was  poured  out 
on  old  and  young.  Prayer  meetings  were  multiplied,  and 
that  cold  weather  in  January  could  not  stop  the  people  from 
going  to  them.     They  were  often  crowded.     Such  a  degree  of 


HISTORY  OF  THE   CHURCH.  89 

general  earnestness  and  anxiety  in  religion  I  never  before 
witnessed,  either  here  or  in  any  other  place.  Many  were 
seriously  inquiring  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved  ;  and  there 
were  several  instances  of  alarming  conviction  and  distressing 
fears  sinking  almost  in  despair. 

"One  young  man,  after  conversing  with  another  in  the  eve- 
ning, on  the  interesting  subject  of  religion,  while  returning 
home,  felt  such  a  burden  of  guilt  that  he  could  hardly  move 
along.  He  said  it  seemed  every  moment  as  if  the  lightning 
would  strike  him.  After  going  along  a  while  he  kneeled 
down  by  the  fence  and  prayed ;  he  went  further  and  prayed 
again,  and  again  after  he  returned  home.  The  heavy  rain  of 
that  evening  had  thoroughly  soaked  his  clothes,  but  he 
scarcely  thought  of  that,  so  intensely  was  his  mind  occupied 
with  the  concerns  of  religion  and  eternity." 

"A  meeting  for  prayer  and  conversation  with  the  anxious  was 
established,  and  afterwards  another  ;  but  so  many  crowded  in, 
that  in  a  few  weeks  they  became  common  prayer  meetings. 

"The  boys,  of  their  own  accord,  began  a  prayer  meeting,  and 
afterwards  another,  both  of  which  are  yet  continued.  You 
will  understand  that  all  these  meetings  are  weekly,  on  fixed 
evenings.  But  beside  these  there  are,  in  the  winter,  frequent 
extra  meetings  collected  in  the  two  villages  (Fairton  and 
Cedarville)  on  two  or  three  hours  notice.  One  week  our  peo- 
ple counted  nineteen  meetings,  fixed  and  extra. 

"Previous  to  the  sacrament  the  session  appointed  two  days 
to  converse  with  those  who  should  come  forward.  The  total 
number  propounded  and  admitted  to  full  communion  with 
the  church  was  fifty- one.  This,  we  believe,  is  the  Lord's 
doings,  and  while  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes  we  would 
rejoice  and  give  thanks.  Among  the  aforesaid  number  were 
five  men  and  their  wives.  A  large  number  of  the  new  mem- 
bers are  young  people,  and  two  of  the  age  of  thirteen — one 
of  whom,  thanks  to  God,  is  our  dear  son  Robert.  The 
gracious  work  seems  to  be  still  in  a  measure  progressing." 

This  revived  state  seems  to  have  continued  more  or  less  till 


90  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

1831,  when  the  results  became  more  apparent,  and  Mr. 
Osborn,  taking  in  the  whole  number  received  during  these 
years,  recounts  them  at  about  eighty.  At  this  time,  with  but 
little  numerical  increase  of  the  population  of  the  township, 
the  number  of  communicants  in  the  church  had  increased 
from  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Osborn 's 
settlement,  to  three  hundred  and  thirty-six.  The  Old  Stone 
Church  had  become  so  filled,  that  not  a  pew,  and  scarcely  a 
sitting,  either  on  the  floor  or  in  the  spacious  galleries, 
remained  without  rent. 

Over  this  large  and  widely-scattered  congregation  the 
greatly  endeared  pastor  continued  to  labor  on  alone  till  1836, 
then  in  the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age. 

A  co-pastor  is  now  obtained  in  a  young  man  directed 
hither  by  the  venerable  Dr.  A.  Alexander. 

David  McKee,  from  Kentucky,  was  ordained  August  4th, 
1836.  He  is  now  in  his  seventy-sixth  year,  and  is  the  oldest 
living  pastor  of  this  church.  He  now  resides  at  Hanover, 
Indiana.  Not  being  able  to  be  present  at  these  centennial 
services,  and  taking  a  lively  interest  in  them,  he  has  sent  a 
brief  and  interesting  account  of  the  work  of  grace  during  his 
short  co-pastorate,  which  was  dissolved  October,  1838. 

This  was  the  last  revival  season  during  Father  Osborn's 
ministry,  and  which  he  characterized  as  the  most  powerful, 
but  of  short  duration.  In  August,  sixty-one  were  added  to 
the  church,  the  largest  number  received  at  any  one  commu- 
nion. [An  account  of  it  was  given  by  the  Rev.  David  McKee, 
in  a  brief  paper  read  at  the  centennial  meeting.] 

While  we  record  these  precious  seasons  of  ingathering  with 
devout  gratitude  and  look  upon  them  as  the  marked  charac- 
teristics of  Mr.  Osborn's  ministry,  we  should  note  that  large 
as  were  the  number  received  at  these  times  they  constituted 
only  about  one-half  of  the  aggregate  he  admitted  into  church 
fellowship. 

Before  this  time  the  church  was  twice  called  together  to 
consider  the  question  of  organizing  a  church  at  Cedarville, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  91 

but  each  time  a  majority  voted  against  it.  The  steps  taken 
which  resulted  in  the  organization  of  the  First  and  Second 
Churches  in  that  village  will  be  given  by  their  present 
pastors. 

On  the  questions  which  divided  the  Church  into  Old  and 
New  Schools,  Mr.  Osborn's  views  and  sympathies  were  with 
the  latter.  About  one-half  the  session  and  church  were  with 
him.  They  deliberated  a  good  while  before  they  decided  to 
withdraw  from  the  Presbytery  of  West  Jersey.  The  formal 
step  was  taken,  however,  May  11th,  1840,  and  they  became 
connected  with  the  Third  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  May 
14th. 

He  continued  to  preside  over  the  church  until  1844,  when 
he  offered  his  resignation.  "  It  was  felt  by  all  concerned  a 
mournful  necessit3\"  There  was  but  one  person  living  who 
was  a  member  of  the  church  when  he  came.  But  few  could 
remember  his  coming.  The  following  minute  was  adopted 
by  the  Presbytery  April,  1844,  when  they  dissolved  this  pas- 
toral relation  : 

"In  complying  with  the  request  of  our  venerable  father  and 
brother  in  the  ministry,  the  Rev.  Ethan  Osborn,  to  dissolve 
the  pastoral  relation  between  himself  and  the  church  congre- 
gation of  Fairfield,  N.  J.,  the  Presbytery  feel  that  there  are 
circumstances  of  interest,  which  render  it  worthy  of  peculiar 
notice. 

"For  fifty-four  years  Father  Osborn  has  ministered  to  this 
branch  of  Zion,  during  which  time  a  degree  of  harmony  and 
friendship  has  subsisted  between  pastor  and  people,  and  a 
success  has  attended  his  ministr}',  highly  creditable  to  them, 
and  happily  illustrating  the  beauty  and  importance  of  a  per- 
manent pastoral  relation.  Now,  late  in  the  evening  of  life,  in 
the  eighty-sixth  year  of  his  age,  after  having  been  permitted 
to  enjoy,  in  connection  with  his  labors,  several  revivals  of 
religion,  and  having  buried  all  but  one  of  those  who  com- 
posed his  flock  at  the  time  of  his  installation,  and  after  hav- 
ing seen  the  children  of  two  generations,  baptized  with  his 


92  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

own  hands,  succeeding  to  the  places  in  the  church  vacated  by 
their  fathers,  he  comes  with  undiminished  regard  for  his  peo- 
ple, and  in  the  unabated  enjoyment  of  their  confidence  and 
affection,  to  commit  his  united  and  happy  charge  to  the  care 
of  this  body.  The  Presbytery  commend  this  church  for  pro- 
viding that  their  worthy  and  venerable  pastor  may  continue 
to  lean  upon  their  arm  while  he  lives,  and  recline  on  their 
bosom  when  he  dies,  and  hope  that  other  churches  may  fol- 
low their  example." 

Mr.  Osborn  continued  to  worship  with  this  people  and 
preach  frequently,  take  part  in  the  administration  of  the  sac- 
rament, and  aided  in  every  way  the  work  of  the  Lord  while 
he  had  strength.  When  he  resigned  there  were  three  elders 
and  one  hundred  and  thirteen  members. 

At  the  present  time,  of  those  admitted  to  church  member- 
ship by  him,  there  are  living  in  connection  with  this  church, 
eighteen;  in  the  First  Church,  Cedarville,  twenty-five;  and  in 
connection  with  other  churches  about  seventy  in  all.  Josiah 
Bennet  has  been  a  member  more  than  fifty-three  years,  and 
Hannah  Seeley,  now  Mrs.  Hogbin,  was  admitted  at  the  same 
time.  There  are  nine  of  his  spiritual  children,  who  are 
elders,  though  but  one  is  in  connection  with  this  mother 
church. 

For  a  further  account  of  the  old  pastor,  whose  life  is  so 
bound  up  with  this  church,  we  must  refer  the  reader  to  the 
memorial  from  which  we  have  quoted  so  freely. 

November  19th,  1845,  the  Re\.  Beriah  B.  Hotchkin  was 
installed  pastor  in  connection  with  the  Second  Presbyterian 
Church,  of  Fairfield,  now  called  the  Second  Presbyterian 
Church,  of  Cedarville.  His  residence  was  part  of  the  time 
at  Cedarville,  and  part  in  Fairton.  He  was  associated  in  the 
session  with  four  elders — Nathaniel  Howell,  Ephraim  H. 
Whiticar,  John  Holmes,  and  Ephraim  Westcott.  There  were 
elected  and  ordained  on  July  11th,  1847,  Joseph  Campbell, 
Joseph  F.  Jaggers  and  Theophilus  Trenchard,  raising  the 
number   to   seven.     There   seems   to    have   been   great  care 


HISTORY  OF  THE   CHURCH.  93 

shown  in  watching  over  the  church.  The  ordinances  and 
sacraments  were  faithfully  administered,  but  no  special  out- 
pouring of  the  Holy  Spirit  appears  during  his  ministry. 
Numbers  were  added  from  time  to  time,  and  the  members 
generally  witnessed  a  good  profession.  An  unpleasantness 
and  want  of  harmony  in  the  session  the  pastor  regarded  as  a 
hindrance  to  spiritual  growth. 

An  important  step  was  now  taken,  the  building  of  a  new 
church  at  Fairton,  and  the  formal  removal  of  the  stated 
worship  from  this  house. 

A  preliminary  meeting  was  held  in  December,  1846 ;  but 
it  was  not  until  March  16th,  1848,  that  it  was  resolved  (by  a 
vote  of  ten  in  favor  and  two  against)  to  proceed  in  building. 

The  lot  was  contributed  by  John  Trenchard,  Esq.  The  size 
of  the  building  was  to  be  38  by  52  feet. 

Mr.  John  Trenchard  and  Theophilus  E.  Harris,  the  building 
committee,  reported  March  29th,  1850,  the  house  completed, 
at  a  cost  of  about  |2,250,  and  $278.58  due  the  contractors. 

At  a  congregational  meeting  held  in  the  Stone  Church  the 
following  paper  was  adopted  : 

"  Resolved,  That  from  and  after  the  fifth  Sabbath  of  March, 
1850,  the  regular  public  worship,  held  by  this  congregation, 
be  transferred  from  the  house  now  used,  (Stone  Church),  for 
the  purpose,  to  the  new  church  in  Fairton. 

Also  Resolved,  That  the  public  worship  of  Almighty  God, 
conducted  by  the  pastors  and  elders  of  this  congregation  on 
Sunday  and  other  days  appointed  for  the  purpose,  in  the  new 
church  in  Fairton,  should  be  regarded  as  worship  performed 
by  this  congregation  according  to  all  their  compacts  and 
agreements  to  unite  in  such  worship  as  a  particular  congre- 
gation." 

The  last  sermon  prior  to  removal  was  preached  by  the  old 
pastor,  as  was  very  fitting.  It  was,  as  Judge  Elmer  has  well 
said,  "a  solemn  farewell  to  that  place,  hallowed  by  so  many 
endearing  associations,  and  to  the  people  so  long  under  his 
care." 


94  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

On  April  5th,  rules  and  regulations  were  adopted  for  selling 
and  renting  the  pews.  The  annual  rental  was  set  at  $350. 
Ten  dollars  was  the  highest  premium  paid,  and  the  highest 
annual  rent  the  same. 

They  had  everything  arranged  and  comfortably  fixed  in 
the  new  church  when  the  pastor  announced  to  the  senior 
elder  that  he  thought  it  a  very  suitable  time  to  leave.  The 
congregation  reluctantly  agreed  to  his  request,  and  the 
Presbytery  dissolved  the  pastoral  relation  June  11th,  1850. 

The  Rev.  D.  C.  Sleeker,  having  preached  as  supply,  a  call 
was  extended  to  him,  which  being  accepted,  he  was  installed 
February  12th,  1851. 

In  his  address  at  the  centennial,  he  said :  "  He  regarded 
it  as  his  rich  privilege  to  have  stepped  in  and  reaped  the 
harvest  of  the  seed  sown  and  watered  by  that  good  man,  the 
sainted  Hotchkin."  Immediately  on  being  settled,  he  found 
the  harvest  ripe  and  ready  for  gathering. 

While  I  do  not  find  large  numbers  added  on  any  single 
occasion,  as  in  former  revivals,  there  seems  to  have  been  an 
earnest  revived  state,  as  the  condition  of  the  church  during 
his  stay  with  them.  There  were  frequent  meetings  of  session, 
and  persons  appearing  and  applying  for  the  church  privileges 
at  almost  all  of  them.  I  find  between  forty  and  fifty  were 
received  at  these  different  times,  and  some  of  them  the  most 
prominent  and  useful  in  the  church  at  the  present  time. 

Since  the  old  parsonage  and  j^lantation  at  Sayre's  Neck 
were  sold  in  1807,  the  church  was  without  a  home  for  the 
pastor.  Mr.  Osborn  occupying  his  own  home,  the  need  was 
not  felt  till  after  his  resignation.  Both  Mr.  Hotchkin  and 
Mr.  Meeker  were  put  to  great  inconvenience  for  want  of  a 
home.  Although  the  old  parsonage  was  sold  for  nearly 
three  thousand  dollars,  it  was  now  all  gone.  It  had  slipped 
away  at  the  rate  of  about  one  hundred  dollars  a  year. 

It  was  resolved  now,  however,  chiefly  through  the  energy 
of  Theophilus  E.  Harris,  to  build  again.  He  and  George  E. 
Elmer  were  appointed  the  building  committee,  who  reported 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  95 

the  house  completed  in  1853.  The  whole  cost,  exclusive  of 
the  lot,  amounted  to  about  nine  hundred  dollars. 

In  a  few  months  the  Rev.  James  Boggs  was  employed  as 
supply.  After  serving  the  church  in  this  capacity  for  nearly 
nine  months,  having  received  a  call,  he  was  ordained  on  May 
19th,  1857,  by  a  committee  of  the  Fourth  Presbytery,  of  Phil- 
adelphia. 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Brainard,  D.  D.,the  Rev.  C.  F.  Diver  and 
the  Rev.  Jacob  Helffenstein  took  part  in  this  service.  After 
laboring  faithfully  for  near  two  years,  Fairfield  was  again 
visited  with  an  outpouring  of  the  spirit  of  great  power.  The 
pastor  was  assisted  in  his  labors  by  the  Rev.  0.  Parker.  All 
parts  of  the  old  parish  was  awakened  as  in  former  times. 
Not  only  the  Presbytery,  but  all  churches  within  its  former 
bounds  shared  in  the  precious  influences. 

At  several  meetings  of  session  during  February  and  March, 
fifty-nine  persons  were  examined  on  their  application  for 
church  membership,  and  approved.  On  March  7th,  1858, 
they  publicly  came  forward  and  adopted  the  articles  of  faith 
and  the  covenant.  Mr.  Boggs  continued  to  labor  on  till  the 
autumn  of  1866.  The  church  seems  to  have  enjoyed  peace 
and  gradual  growth,  members  having  been  received  from 
time  to  time,  and  the  congregation  so  increasing  that  the 
building  became  too  strait  for  them.  It  was  resolved  to  enlarge 
the  church,  and  Messrs.  George  E.  Elmer  and  Theophilus 
Trenchard  were  appointed  the  building  committee.  In  1862 
they  reported  the  work  completed.  The  whole  cost  was  about 
$900.     The  church  as   enlarged  seats  about  500. 

A  special  note  is  made  of  nine  members  having  volun- 
teered, at  the  call  of  the  President,  when  the  country  needed 
them  for  its  defence. 

On  the  withdrawal  of  Mr.  Boggs,  the  Rev.  H.  E.  Johnson 
was  obtained  as  stated  supply,  which  arrangement  continued 
a  little  more  than  two  years  and  a  half.  Messrs.  George  S. 
Whiticar,  Samuel  H.  Williams  and  Theophilus  Tomlinson, 


96  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

having  been  chosen  and  appointed  ruling  elders,  appeared 
in  session  for  the  first  time,  March  31st,  1867. 

The  church  seems  active  and  vigorous.  A  resolution  is 
passed  to  erect  a  chapel  at  the  rear  end  of  the  church. 
Messrs.  Samuel  H.  Williams,  James  Campbell,  and  Daniel 
Stiles  were  appointed  the  building  committee.  It  was  com- 
pleted in  1867,  at  a  cost  (including  organ  and  furnishing)  of 
$1,733.33.  A  part  of  the  money  was  collected  in  Philadelphia 
by  Elder  Joseph  F.  Jaggers.  The  last  hundred  dollars  of 
this  expense  was  paid  by  note,  and  allowed  to  linger  on  at 
interest  for  ten  years  before  it  was  paid.  The  whole  cost  of 
lot  and  buildings  in  Fairton  amounts  to  about  $5,000. 

A  series  of  meetings  was  held  in  January  and  February 
of  1868,  and  a  class  of  seventeen,  mostly  young  people  were 
received  into  church  fellowship.  They  organized  a  young 
people's  prayer  meeting,  which  was  continued  some  months 
with  interest. 

Not  being  able  to  attend  the  centennial  meeting,  a  letter  was 
received  from  Mr.  Johnson,  expressive  of  his  continued 
interest  in  these  j'oung  converts,  and  stating  that  his 
labors  and  associations  with  this  people  were  among  the  most 
pleasant  of  his  life.  His  salary  was  $800  a  year  with  the  free 
use  of  the  parsonage,  the  largest  sum  ever  paid  by  this 
church.     His  labors  closed  May  9th,  1869. 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Beach  Jones,  D.  D.,  of  Bridgeton,  was  in- 
vited to  preach  the  following  Sabbath  as  supply.  He  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  also  some  following  Sabbaths,  when  the 
senior  elder  informed  him  that  his  services  were  very  accep- 
table to  them,  but  they  felt  quite  unable  to  compensate  him 
for  his  labors.  The  doctor  was  very  cordial,  and  expressed 
his  desire  to  preach  as  opportunity  offered,  and  proposed  to 
serve  them  whenever  and  as  long  as  they  might  desire ;  and 
as  for  salary  they  might  pay  him  just  what  they  found  con- 
venient, and  give  themselves  no  further  anxiety. 

In  this  informal  way  the  church  secured  him  as  stated  sup- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  97 

ply,  till  laid  aside  by  a  stroke  of  apoplexy  Sabbath  morning, 
October  4th,  1874.  Since  that  day  he  has  never  been  able  to 
preach,  though  he  is  still  able  to  ride  out  in  pleasant  weather. 
He  continued  to  reside  in  Bridgeton,  but  was  ever  punctual 
and  present  at  the  various  meetings  on  Sabbath  and  week 
days,  and  visited  the  families  from  time  to  time.  His  preach- 
ing was  instructive  and  numbers  were  added  to  the  church 
from  time  to  time.  The  missionary  spirit  was  cultivated  and 
collections  for  the  Boards  of  the  church  and  for  the  Bible  So- 
ciety were  regularly  taken.  Upwards  of  $50  was  taken  at  one 
collection  for  foreign  missions — an  unusual  amount  for  this 
church.     He  was  paid  $600  annually. 

This  arrangement  having  been  unexpectedly  brought  to  a 
close  by  sickness,  occasional  supplies  were  obtained  for  a  few 
weeks.  The  Rev.  Samuel  Rutherford  Anderson,  of  Tucker- 
ton,  was  invited  to  come  and  preach  for  a  year,  with  the  view 
to  a  permanent  settlement.  Having  accepted,  he  moved  with 
his  family  and  took  charge  February  15th,  1875. 

On  September  29th  following,  a  call  was  regularly  made 
out  at  a  salary  of  eight  hundred  dollars  and  the  free  use  of 
the  parsonage.  Having  accepted  the  call  the  Presbytery  of 
West  Jersey  appointed  the  Rev.  W.  A.  Ferguson,  of  Pittsgrove 
the  Rev.  Heber  H.  Bedle,  of  Bridgeton,  and  the  Rev.  James 
K.  Wilson,  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Cedarville,  a 
committee  to  install  him  pastor.  These  services  they  per- 
formed November  12th,  1875. 

During  the  five  years  which  have  intervened  to  the  present 
time,  the  congregation  have  passed  through  a  season  of  great 
financial  depression.  An  unusual  number  have,  in  conse- 
quence, moved  away.  Several  of  the  old  and.  influential 
members  have  died,  thus  weakening  it  financially  and 
otherwise.  Elias  W.  Bateman  and  James  H.  Elmer  have 
been  added  to  the  session. 

The    winter .  of   1878-9    enjoyed  an   unusual    refreshing. 
During  these  five  years,  fifty-seven  have  been  received  into 
7 


98  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

church  fellowship — about  one-half  in  the  spring  of  1879. 
Twenty-two  infants  and  twenty-eight  adults  have  been  bap- 
tized, and  nineteen  persons  taken  to  their  long  home.  Be- 
sides these,  the  pastor  has  assisted  at  several  other  funeral 
services. 

During  the  century  there  has  been  added  to  the  church  on 
the  profession  of  their  faith  about  one  thousand  souls.  The 
average  yearly  addition  has  been  about  the  same  since 
Father  Osborn's  pastorate  as  during  it.  There  have  been 
seven  pastors  (including  the  short  co-pastorate  of  the  Rev. 
David  D.  McKee,)  and  two  stated  supplies.  Thirty-seven  per- 
sons have  been  associated  in  the  session  and  co-operated  with 
the  pastor  in  the  spiritual  oversight. 

At  present  there  are  five  elders  and  one  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  members. 

THE   SABBATH   SCHOOL. 

About  a  century  ago  Sabbath-schools  took  form  and 
developed  into  a  system,  which  is  now  among  the  most  hon- 
ored, instruments  for  imparting  religious  instruction. 

Not  until  the  year  1818  were  they  organized  in  the  bounds 
of  this  parish.  On  December  12th,  of  this  year,  the  citizens 
of  Fairton  met  in  the  small  stone  school-house,  which  stood 
on  the  ground  that  the  new  building  now  occupies,  and 
organized  on  the  plan  of  the  Sunday  School  Union.  A  com- 
mittee of  seven  was  appointed  to  manage  the  affairs.  Two 
were  appointed  to  attend  each  Sabbath,  by  course,  except 
that  the  seventh,  being  an  odd  number,  had  no  partner. 

It  was  considered  a  union  school,  but  made  up  chiefly  of 
Presbyterians.  Mr.  John  Trenchard,  though  not  a  member 
of  the  church,  was  one  of  the  most  interested  and  faithful 
supporters. 

It  ran  down  and  was  suspended  in  1821,  but  again  resusci- 
tated in  1827,  since  which  time  it  has  enjoyed  an  uninter- 
rupted life.     When  it  was  reorganized,  a  superintendent  was 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  99 

chosen  to  act  instead  of  two  of  the  committee.  In  1830  two 
superintendents  were  chosen,  and  in  1833  the  second  was 
called  assistaot  superintendent. 

Joseph  Dayton  was  chosen  the  first  superintendent  and 
served  till  1840,  when  he  resigned,  prior  to  moving  west.  Mr. 
Josiah  Bennett,  who  is  still  living,  and  the  oldest  member 
of  the  church,  was  the  second  superintendent  chosen. 

In  1840,  they  adopted  the  plan  of  electing  teachers,  but  it 
was  soon  discontinued.  The  first  list  of  teachers  contains  the 
names  of  three,  Theodotia  Smith,  Joseph  F.  and  Benjamin 
Jaggers.  The  first  named  is  still  living  in  our  midst,  the 
other  two  in  Philadelphia  and  Camden,  respectively.  Miss 
Lydia  Bennett  was  chosen  teacher  in  1843,  and  has  continued 
as  such  to  the  present,  without  intermission,  a  period  of 
thirty-seven  years — a  very  worthy  example  of  faithful  labor. 

In  1865,  a  chapel  at  the  rear  of  the  church  was  built  and 
the  school  moved  into  it. 

The  constitution  was  now  changed,  dropping  the  seven 
managers  and  electing  the  several  officers.  In  1876,  it  was 
further  changed,  limiting  the  election  to  the  officers,  teachers 
and  adult  scholars.  These  are  called  the  Sunday-school  Asso- 
ciation. 

Besides  those  mentioned,  Theophilus  Trenchard,  James 
Campbell,  Ephraim  H.  Whiticar,  Levi  J.  Craig  and  James  H. 
Elmer  have  served  as  superintendents.  The  school  now  con- 
sists of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  members,  seven  ofiicers 
and  twenty  teachers. 

It  was  an  old  custom  to  hold  anniversaries  of  all  the  schools, 
Bridgeton,  Fairton  and  Cedarville,  in  the  Stone  Church.  It 
is  now  the  custom  to  hold  anniversaries  commemorative  of 
the  removal  from  the  old  stone  school-house  into  the  new 
chapel. 

THE   BURIAL   GROUND. 

When  the  church  was  opened  for  service,  a  century  ago, 
Mr.  John  Bateman  was  put  in  charge  of  the  graveyard.  His 
son  John  succeeded  him,  who  was  again  followed  by  his  son, 


100  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

Thomas.  The  last  mentioned  lived  to  be  eighty  years  old, 
and  was  long  familiarly  called  "  Uncle  Tommy."  It  con- 
tinued in  the  care  of  this  family  seventy-seven  years. 

For  the  following  facts,  about  all  we  have  (of  this  period) 
regarding  the  burials,  we  are  indebted  to  J.  Barron  Potter, 
M.  D.,  of  Bridgeton.  His  notes  were  taken  in  1853,  as  given 
him  by  the  sexton,  Tommie  Bateman. 

Of  the  sexton,  the  doctor  says  :  "  He  seems  to  form  a  part 
and  parcel  of  the  establishment.  He  walks  familiarly  over 
the  ground  and  can  call  up  each  shade,  by  its  family  name, 
whether  it  be  mounded  or  sunken,  or  to  the  passer-by  bears 
no  external  sign  of  a  narrow  house.  For  more  than  half  a 
century  he  laid  away  in  their  long  home,  those  that  rest  in 
this  sacred  ground.  He  had  a  large  family  connection,  and 
his  personal  worth  secured  him  high  regard.  He  was  seldom 
absent  from  public  worship,  and  made  the  word  of  God  his 
daily  counsellor.  The  New  Testament  he  had  read  in  course 
fifty-seven  times." 

The  same  year  this  house  became  the  birth-place  of  souls, 
this  yard  became  the  receptacle  of  the  dead.  The  first  burial 
was  the  child  of  John  Houseman,  in  1780,  marked  only  by  a 
rude  sandstone,  without  name  or  date.  The  second  was  .John 
Barton.  The  third,  and  first  marked  by  a  tombstone,  is 
Stephen  Clark,  Esq.,  May  13th,  1781.  Then  follow  two  Ruths, 
the  wives  of  two  elders,  Jedediah  Ogden  and  John  Bower. 
His  grandfather  kept  no  record  of  burials  and  his  father's  is 
incomplete.  He,  Thomas,  estimated  the  number  of  the  first 
at  one  hundred,  and  his  father's  at  five  hundred.  At  this 
time,  1863,  he  had  himself  buried  thirteen  hundred  and  fifty. 
After  this,  to  the  time  of  his  death,  he  probably  added  seventy- 
five  to  one  hundred  more — making  in  all  more  than  two 
thousand  graves." 

The  following  notes  are  not  without  interest : 

"  At  one  time  the  sexton  (Tommie  Bateman),  had  the 
measures  for  six  graves  in  his  possession,  before  he  had  com- 
menced to  dig  the  first.     On  one  day  he  buried  three  mem- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH  101 

bers  of  the  same  family.  Two  stones,  not  far  apart,  marked 
"I.  B."  and  "M.  E."  were  pointed  out,  of  whose  epitaphs,  the 
sexton  remarked,  "  If  truth  is  ever  found  on  stone,  you  find 
truth  there  r 

Even  so  long  ago,  a  grassy  level  space,  a  rod  or  two  in 
length,  was  pointed  out,  of  which  it  was  often  asked,  "  Why 
do  you  not  bury  here  ?"  The  sexton's  reply  was,  "Beneath 
this  quiet  sod  lie  strewn,  as  leaves  in  autumn,  the  remains  of 
one  large  family." 

Mr.  Tommie  Bateman  was  succeeded  by  Nathaniel  Howell, 
an  elder  of  the  church,  an  humble  and  highly  esteemed 
person.  He  had  charge  of  the  yard  till  his  death  in  August, 
1868,  and  buried  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven  bodies. 

Mr.  Bayze  N.  Bateman  was  next  appointed  to  take  charge, 
and  continued  to  do  so  until  May,  1879.  During  his  time 
some  very  important  improvements  were  made.  The  church 
was  covered  with  a  slate  roof. 

The  forest  trees*  were  cleared  away,  and  the  ground  laid 
out  in  regular  tiers  of  lots,  with  roadway  and  paths.  Gravel 
was  hauled  gratuitously  by  many,  and  an  iron  fence  built  in 
front  at  an  expense  of  thirteen  hundred  dollars.  This 
expense  was  met  by  subscription  ;  the  people  having  friends 
buried  here  very  generally  and  very  generously  contributing. 

Mr.  Bateman  buried  about  three  hundred,  including  some 
that  were  moved  from  the  graveyard  of  the  Second  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Cedarville,  and  other  places. 

In  May,  1879,  Mr.  Justus  Livingston  was  elected  by  the 
trustees  to  take  charge  of  the  graveyard,  as  well  as  sexton  of 
the  church  at  Fairton.  He  has  added  to  this  silent  congrega- 
tion forty-two  more.  In  the  past  year  the  yard  has  been 
cleaned,  gravel  walks  made  and  lots  sodded,  at  a  cost  of  sev- 
eral hundred  dollars. 

There  are  now  not  far  from  two  thousand  six  hundred 
bodies  reposing  in  this  sacred  yard.      Only  a  little  more  than 


*I  understand  it  was  the  sale  of  the  timber  that  paid  the  expense  of  putting  the  roof  on  the 
feuilding.    I  find  no  record  of  the  expense  incurred. 


102  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

one-third  have  stones  within  scriptions,  commemorating  their 
names  and  virtues.  It  is  still  true  that  most  of  those  that 
repose  around  Father  Osborn  are  his  children  in  the  flesh 
and  in  the  spirit. 

The  sexton  of  the  Stone  Church  at  first  received  only  three 
pounds.  A  woman  served  in  this  office  a  few  years.  The 
amount  paid  was  raised  to  seventeen  dollars,  but  never  any 
more.     The  chopping  of  wood  was  considered  extra. 

In  the  new  church,  at  Fairton,  the  sexton  received,  at  first, 
twenty-five  dollars.  This  has  been  raised  from  time  to  time, 
till  it  reached  sixty  dollars,  the  sum  now  paid. 

The  town  meeting  was  held  in  the  church  from  the  firsts 
which  practice  is  still  continued. 


THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH, 

FAIRFIELD,    NEW   JERSEY.    . 


BY   FRANCIS   DE   HAES   JANVIER. 


The  Old  Stone  Church,  time-worn  and  gray, 
Survives,  though,  since  its  natal  day, 
A  hundred  years  have  passed  away  ! 

Still  stands,  while  those  who  j)lanned  and  reared 
Its  walls,  have  long  since  disappeared  ; 
A  sacred  shrine,  beloved,  revered. 

With  hallowed  memories  running  o'er, 
With  visions  of  the  times  of  yore. 
Dear  to  each  heart  forevermore. 

And  with  them  comes  the  kindly  face 
Of  one  whose  life  we  fondly  trace  ; — 
A  Pastor,  full  of  heavenly  grace. 

A  youth  when,  in  those  distant  days. 

He  led  the  flock  in  Wisdom's  ways. 

With  words  of  love,  and  prayer  and  praise. 

And  still,  through  half  a  century 
Of  sweet  devotion,  hved  to  be 
A  Father  in  God's  ministry. 

Till,  with  the  weight  of  years  oppressed, 
His  mission  closed — accepted,  blest, 
He  tranquilly  lay  down  to  rest. 


104  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

And,  reunited  now  with  those 

Who,  gathered  here,  these  graves  enclose, 

The  Pastor  and  his  flock  repose. 

But  the  archangel's  trump  shall  sound, 
And  God  Himself  rend  every  mound 
Within  this  silent  burial  ground. 

Then  shall  the  dead  awake,  and  be 
Eedeemed  from  death's  deep  mystery 
To  life  and  immortahty  ! 

The  fathers  sleep, — but  what  they  wrought, 
The  faith  and  love  their  Uves  have  taught, 
Survive  the  changes  time  has  brought. 

And  cherished  with  their  memory, — 

Prized  as  a  precious  legacy, — 

The  Old  Stone  Chukch  shall  ever  be. 

Philadelphia,  1880. 


HISTORY   OF  THE   FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH, 
CEDARVILLE,  N.  J., 

And  its  Connection  with  the  "  Old  Stone  Church^ 


BY   EEV.    GEORGE   L.    SMITH. 


In  1818,  when  the  Stone  Church  was  the  only  Presbyterian 
Church  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and  when  nearly  all  the 
people  of  Cedarville  attended  worship  within  its  sacred  walls, 
there  was  a  Sabbath-school  organized  and  sustained  in  a 
school-house,  called  the  "  Friendship  "  school-house,  situated 
on  the  south  side  of  the  dam  in  that  place.  This  school 
was  organized  on  the  13th  of  September,  1818,  at  8  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  The  time  of  meeting  was  afterwards  changed 
to  2|  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  Mr.  John  Burtt,  (after- 
wards Rev.  John  Burtt,)  in  his  first  report,  says :  "Before  the 
change  was  effected,  scarcely  so  much  as  two  hours  could  be 
devoted  to  instruction,  owing  to  the  distance  between  the 
school-house  and  the  church.  We  shall  now  have  from  two 
to  three  hours  at  each  meeting  throughout  the  winter,  which 
will  enable  us  to  devote  a  few  minutes  more  to  religious 
instruction  than  we  could  at  the  commencement  of  our  labors. 
We  are  the  more  satisfied  that  we  should  have  greater  time 
allowed  us  to  address  the  scholars  on  the  important  concerns 
of  a  hereafter,  because  our  short  experience  enables  us  to  per- 
ceive that  much  may  be  read  or  recited  without  being 
attended  to  or  understood." 

The  school  was  organized  with  one  hundred  and  ninety 


106  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

scholars — ninety  males  and  one  hundred  females.     The  first 
officers  were  Mr.  John  Bartt  and  Mr.  Norton  0.  Lawrence. 

It  was  organized  by  and  under  the  supervision  of  a  com- 
mittee of  twelve  gentlemen,  of  whom  the  Rev.  Mr.  Osborn 
was  one.  Two  of  this  committee  were  required  to  visit  the 
school  every  Sabbath,  to  counsel  and  encourage  those  en- 
gaged in  the  management  and  instruction  of  the  scholars. 
It  was  made  the  duty  of  the  superintendent  to  make  a  report 
quarterly  to  the  patrons  of  the  school. 

This,  which  was  more  than  sixty  years  ago,  was  of  course 
when  Sabbath-schools  were,  in  this  region,  in  their  infancy. 
But  they  seem  to  have  gotten  the  idea,  nevertheless,  which 
there  may  be  danger  of  losing  sight  of  in  these  days  of  so 
many  Sabbath-school  appliances,  but  which  it  will  be  sad  for 
our  children  if  we  do,  viz:  the  Sabbath-school  is  for  the 
study  of  the  Bible. 

One  man,  now  past  his  three  score  and  ten,  who  was  a 
member  of  that  school,  tells  of  his  going,  and  carrying  with 
him,  by  his  father's  direction,  a  book  called  the  "  Christian 
Remembrancer,"  a  good  book,  no  doubt,  but  it  was  not  the  one 
for  that  place.  He  was  told  as  he  came  to  the  door,  that 
the  Bible  was  the  book  he  needed  there.  There  was  some 
heroic  work  done,  in  the  way  of  committing  to  memory. 
They  were  desired  at  one  time  to  commit  the  first  ten  verses 
of  the  fifth  chapter  of  Matthew.  Two  girls  repeated  the 
whole  chapter,  which  was  regarded  as  quite  a  feat.  Another 
girl  was  said,  however,  to  have  learned  one  thousand  to 
twelve  hundred  verses  in  a  week,  and  to  accomplish  this  she 
sometimes  worked  on  into  the  night,  studying  by  the  light  of 
the  moon  ;  and  another  girl,  it  is  said,  committed  to  memory 
a  large  portion  of  the  Bible. 

A  report  dated  April  20,  1824,  which  is  about  five  and  a 
half  years  after  its  organization,  states — "  the  scholars  have 
committed  to  memory  and  recited,  since  the  organization  of 
the  school,  two  hundred  and  thirty-six  thousand  two  hundred 
and  sixty-five    verses   of    Scripture,  one  hundred  and   five 


FIRST  CHURCH,  CEDARVILLE.  107 

thousand  four  hundred  and  sixteen  verses  of  hymns,  and 
twenty  thousand  and  ninety-three  answers  in  the  Catechism." 

This  shows  to  us  the  only  Presbyterian  institution  existing  in 
Cedarville  before  the  organization  of  a  Presbyterian  Church 
there,  and  something  of  the  material  to  be  used  in  it. 

There  were  many  people  living  in  that  neighborhood 
who  belonged  to  the  Stone  Church.  The  distance  was 
considerable  to  walk  (and  there  were  many  who  did  walk), 
and  it  was  for  these  reasons  chiefly  that  there  were 
thoughts  of  the  formation  of  a  new  church  in  that  neighbor- 
hood, and  steps  in  that  direction  were  taken.  The  result  of 
this  was  the  organization  of  a  church  at  Cedarville,  on  the 
twenty-third  of  October,  1838,  consisting  of  thirty-five,  who 
came  with  their  certificates  from  the  church  at  Fairfield, 
which  is  the  Stone  Church.  Probably  there  were  four  from 
other  churches  who  united  with  this  thirty-five  from  the  Stone 
Church  in  the  petition  for  an  organization,  for  the  records 
give  the  names  of  thirty-nine  who  at  first  petitioned.  These 
names  are : 

Asa  Fish,  Eeuben  Nixon, 

Joel  Westcott,  Esther  B.ateman, 

David  Whitecar,  Hannah  Blizzard, 

David  Harris,  Bathsheba  Bowen, 

John  Elmer,  Oliver  Blizzard, 

Archibald  Bancroft,  Ann  Conover, 

Joab  Sheppard,  Phebe  C.  Moore, 

Elizabeth  Newcomb,  Elizabeth  Blizzard, 

William  R.  Newcomb,  Sarah  F.  Bateman, 

David  McClure,  Maria  Bateman, 

Reuben  Ware,  Betsy  L.  Westcott, 

Rachel  Fish,  Nancy  Trenchard, 

Mary  Westcott,  Clarrissa  Husted, 

Hannah  Whitecar,  James  R.  Newcomb, 

Abigail  Harris,  Ruth  Nixon, 

Elizabeth  Elmer,  Margaret  P.  Howell, 

Lydia  Bancroft,  Ann  Eliza  Ogden, 

Mary  A.  Sheppard,  Abagail  F.  Burt, 

Jane  Newcomb,  Susan  Ogden. 
Mary  Ann  McClure, 


108  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

At  the  meeting  at  which  the  church  was  organized,  the 
Rev.  George  W.  Janvier  officiated,  and  preached  a  sermon 
from  Exodus,  25  :  8,  "  And  let  them  make  me  a  sanctuary  ; 
that  I  may  dwell  among  them." 

Mr.  Asa  Fish  having  been  an  elder  in  the  church  at 
Fairton,  was  chosen  to  be  an  elder  in  this  new  church  at 
Cedarville,  and  Messrs.  David  Whitecar  and  David  Harris 
were  elected  and  ordained  elders  on  the  25th  of  November, 
1838. 

It  does  not  clearly  appear  whether  they  were  on  that  day 
elected  and  ordained,  or  ordained  only,  but  it  is  probable  that 
they  had  been  previously  elected  and  were  on  that  day  or- 
dained. 

While  these  provisions  were  being  made  for  the  spiritual 
interests  of  the  church,  its  temporal  aflfairs  were  not  neglected. 
A  constitution  for  their  guidance  appears  upon  the  records, 
and  on  November  10th,  1838,  previous  to  the  ordination  of 
the  newly-elected  elders,  a  board  of  trustees  was  chosen. 
This  board  consisted  of  the  following  persons,  viz :  John 
Elmer,  James  R.  Newcomb,  Preston  Foster,  Reuben  Nixon 
and  Joel  Westcott. 

A  Board  of  Trustees  is  supposed  to  have  the  care  of  the 
temporal  interests  of  the  church  only,  but  one  which  would 
conduct  its  meetings  as  the  meetings  of  this  board  were  re- 
quired to  be  conducted,  must  be  able  to  control  not  simply  its 
temporal  affairs,  but  must  have  much  influence  upon  its 
spiritual  interests  also.  It  was  required  by  the  constitution  of 
the  church  that  a  man  must  be  a  communicant  in  the  church 
to  be  eligible  to  the  office  of  trustee,  and  in  the  rules  which 
they  adopted  for  the  regulations  of  their  own  meetings,  two 
items  were  prayers.  We  might  reasonably  expect  such  a 
board  to  succeed  in  whatever  it  should  undertake. 

The  Rev.  David  D.  McKee  preached  for  the  new  organiza- 
tion for  a  time,  but  was  not  settled  over  it  as  pastor.  He  had 
been  co-pastor  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Osborn,  of  the  Stone  Church. 
His  sympathies,  however,  were  with  the  Old  School,  and  it 


FIRST  CHURCH,  CEDARVILLE.  109 

was  probably  for  this  reason  that  he  did  not  remain  in  con- 
nection with  the  Stone  Church,  and  his  recent  connection 
with  that  might  give  a  sufficient  reason  to  a  Christian  why  he 
should  not  become  the  pastor  of  another  church  which  was  a 
branch  of  the  old  vine  planted  in  the  neighborhood.  As  he 
was  about  to  leave  them  he  preached  a  sermon  to  them,  using 
for  his  text  the  exhortation  of  Joseph  to  his  brethren,  Gen. 
45  :  part  24,  "  See  that  ye  fall  not  out  by  the  way." 

We  cannot  give  the  exact  date,  but  it  was  probably  very 
soon  after  the  church  became  so  thoroughly  organized  in 
its  various  parts,  that  the  services  of  the  Rev.  Richard  Curran 
were  secured.  There  is  a  record  of  a  meeting  of  session, 
dated  August  24th,  1839,  signed  by  Mr.  Curran;  he  was 
therefore  probably  there  previous  to  or  by  that  time. 

After  the  records  which  we  have  of  transactions  about  this 
time,  there  seerps  to  be  a  great  blank  in  the  statements  of  the 
doings  of  the  congregation.  On  the  5th  of  November,  1840, 
there  was  an  election  of  trustees  which  resulted  in  the  choice 
of  Preston  Foster,  Nathaniel  Ogden,  David  Harris,  Robert 
Whitecar  and  Joel  Westcott. 

This,  and  the  record  of  one  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees for  the  purpose  of  choosing  officers,  is  all  the  record  we 
have  until  November  4th,  1841,  when  we  have  the  record  of 
a  meeting  at  which  there  was  the  election  of  trustees  which 
resulted  in  choice  of  the  following  persons,  viz : 

William  Westcott,  William  Ogden,  B.  Rush  Bateman, 
Daniel  L.  Burt  and  John  Elmer ;  and  Messrs.  David  White- 
car  and  James  R.  Newcomb  were  chosen  a  committee  of  in- 
spection. These  five  trustees  took  three  oaths  before  Leonard 
Lawrence,  on  the  10th  day  of  November,  1841. 

The  substance  of  these  oaths  were,  1st — That  they  would 
support  the  constitution  of  the  United  States.  2d — That 
they  did,  and  would  bear  true  faith  and  allegiance  to  the 
government  established  in  this  State,  under  the  authority  of 
the   people.      3d — That   they  would   faithfully   execute   the 


110  THE  OLD  STONE   CHURCH. 

trust  reposed  in  them  as  trustees  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Cedarville,  according  to  the  best  of  their  abilities  and 
understanding. 

These  were  each  separately  signed  by  the  persons  named 
in  them,  and  each  bears  the  attestation  of  the  Justice  of  the 
Peace. 

The  church  thus  organized  and  fitted  for  work,  worshipped  in 
what  is  now  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church,  and  was  under 
the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia.  Very  soon, 
however,  that  warm  controversy  which  resulted  in  the 
division  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  reached  this  place,  and 
while  the  church  then  formed  stood  upon  the  side  of  the  Old 
School,  there  were  many  living  in  that  neighborhood  who 
were  more  favorable  to  the  new,  the  old  church  itself  being 
upon  that  side.  The  result  was  that  this  young  church  went 
out  from  the  building  which  they  had  been  occupying,  and 
held  their  services  in  the  school-house  known,  as  the  "Friend- 
ship school-house,"  and  a  new  organization  was  then  formed, 
which  was  in  connection  with  the  New  School  branch  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  which  is  now  the  Second  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Cedarville. 

The  First  Church  then  was  without  a  building,  and  for  a 
time  worshipped  in  this  school-house,  but  successful  efforts 
were  soon  made  to  secure  a  new  house  of  worship,  and  a 
brick  church,  erected  on  a  piece  of  ground  situated  on  the 
north  side  of  the  dam,  where  the  church  now  stands,  obtained 
from  Mr.  Henry  Lawrence,  was  the  result.  It  seems 
strange,  yet  no  records  can  be  found  of  the  proceedings  when 
this  house  was  built.  It  was  built  or  commenced  in  the  year 
1839,  as  a  tablet  which  bears  that  date  upon  its  face, 
will  testify.  We  find,  however,  no  minutes  of  meetings, 
no  appointments  of  committees,  no  bills,  nor  anything 
that  gives  us  exact  dates  or  figures  of  cost,  etc.  The  church 
was  evidently  built,  however,  previous  to  December  2d,  1841, 
for  there  is  a  diagram  of   the  church  drawn  at  that  time. 


FIBST  CHURCH,   CEDARVILLE.  Ill 

This  first  building  was  supposed  to  be  about   thirty-seven 
by  fifty  feet. 

.  But  while  the  records  concerning  the  temporal  affairs  of 
the  church  are  so  very  meagre,  it  is  very  evident  that  there 
was  not  inactivity,  and  that  the  church  was  growing.  Min- 
utes of  frequent  meetings  of  session  speak  of  additions  to  the 
church  until  we  come  to  February  23d,  1840,  when  it  is  said 
that  there  were  twenty-nine  added  to  the  church  on  that 
Sabbath.  Most  of  these  were  received  on  the  profession  of 
their  faith.  Then,  on  .July  10th,  1841,  there  was  an  addition 
of  forty-one  on  certificates  from  the  church  at  Fairfield  ;  and 
on  the  twentieth  of  November  in  the  same  year,  sixteen  from 
the  same  church,  and  one  from  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Cheviot,  Ohio. 

We  find  that  on  January  3d,  1842,  Messrs.  John  Howell 
and  Daniel  L.  Burt  were  installed  as  ruling  elders.  A  record 
just  following  this,  and  although  without  date,  probably  refer- 
ring to  about  that  time,  states  that  the  session  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  of  Cedarville,  consists  of  Messrs.  Asa  Fish, 
John  Howell,  David  Whitecar,  Daniel  L.  Burt,  David  Harris, 
elders,  George  W.  Hires  and  David  Fithian,  deacons,  and 
Richard  Curran,  stated  supply.  It  appears  that  although 
Mr.  Curran  was  ordained  while  they  were  worshipping  in  the 
school-house,  and  was  regularly  supplying  them,  he  was  not 
regularly  called  to  the  cliurch  until  the  30th  of  March,  1842. 
The  reason  was  that  the  church  was  receiving  aid  from  the 
Board  of  Home  Missions,  and,  for  some  reason,  they  seemed 
to  wish  to  become  self-sustaining  before  they  should  call  a 
pastor.  This  they  accomplished,  and  when  they  called  Mr. 
Curran,  and  offered  him  a  salary,  it  was  to  be  paid  b}^  the 
congregation  themselves.  Since  then  the  church  has  always 
been  self-sustaining.  Mr.  Curran's  pastorate  lasted  to  the  11th 
of  January,  1848,  when  it  was  dissolved  by  the  Presbytery  of 
West  Jersey. 

Mr.  Curran  was  speedily  followed  by  Mr.  Thomas  W. 
Cattell,  a  licentiate  of  the  Presbytery,  who  was  invited  by  the 


112  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

session  to  supply  their  pulpit  for  three  months,  and  who  ac- 
cepted the  invitation  in  less  than  a  week  after  the  pastoral 
relation  of  Mr.  Curran  and  the  church  had  been  dissolved. 
He  very  soon  received  a  call  and  was  ordained  and  installed 
as  its  pastor. 

Mr.  Cattell  was  with  this  church  until  September,  1851,  a 
little  more  than  three  years,  when  the  pastoral  relation  was  dis- 
solved by  the  Presbytery  of  West  Jersey,  at  a  meeting  held  at 
Bridgeton,  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  September,  1851.  Dur- 
ing this  pastorate  there  seems  to  have  been  frequent  additions 
to  the  church,  and  the  building  was  enlarged  by  the  addition 
of  twenty  feet  to  its  length. 

Upon  an  invitation  from  the  session,  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Annin, 
of  Franklin,  Ohio,  came  and  commenced  labor  among  them 
on  September  19th,  1852. 

At  a  meeting  held  January  18th,  1853,  a  call  was  extended 
to  Mr.  Annin  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  church.  On  the 
29th  of  March,  1856,  three  elders  were  elected,  viz.:  Messrs. 
Ephraim  Harris,  James  M.  Newcomb  and  Jasper  Bateman. 

Messrs.  Jasper  Bateman  and  James  M.  Newcomb  were 
ordained  elders  on  Sunday  morning.  May  11th,  but,  on 
account  of  sickness,  Mr.  Harris  was  never  ordained.. 

The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Annin  was  the  longest  that  has  yet 
existed  in  this  church,  extending  over  nearly  fourteen  years. 
Very  brief  is  the  notice  of  his  departure,  but  there  seems  to 
have  been  frequent  additions  to  the  church  scattered  along 
through  these  years.  The  largest  seems  to  have  been  in 
February,  1858,  when  there  were  forty-six  admitted  on  pro- 
fession of  their  faith.  At  his  own  request,  the  pastoral 
relation  was  dissolved  by  the  Presbytery  of  West  Jersey  on 
July  19,  1866. 

On  the  31st  of  the  same  month  there  was  a  meeting  of  the 
congregation  at  which  a  unanimous  call  was  extended  to  the 
Rev.  William  E.  Jones,  late  of  Bath,  N.  Y.,  for  his  pastoral 
services.  This  call  was  accepted,  and  it  is  recorded,  under 
date  of  August  25,  1866,  that  the  Rev.  William  E.  Jones, 


FIRST  CHURCH,  CEDARVILLE.  113 

pastor-elect,  having  arrived,  commenced  his  labors  in  this 
church. 

The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Jones  was  a  short  one,  lasting  but 
about  four  years,  but  it  seems  to  have  been  marked  by  large 
additions  to  the  church. 

The  Rev.  James  H.  Clark  followed  Mr.  Jones,  having  re- 
ceived a  call  on  August  24th,  1870.  His  pastorate  lasted  until 
July  19th,  1874.  At  a  meeting  of  session,  held  September 
7th,  1874,  Rev.  James  K.  Wilson  was  invited  to  supply  the 
pulpit  for  one  year,  with  a  view  to  a  call  and  settlement  as 
pastor,  if  the  way  be  clear,  in  six  months  or  any  time  during 
the  year.  Mr.  Wilson  was  afterward  installed  and  remained 
pastor  of  the  church  until  the  17th  of  April,  1878.  Novem- 
ber 23d,  1878,  a  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  George  L.  Smith 
the  present  pastor,  who  was  installed  April  25th,  1879. 

Early  in  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Clark,  on  December  31st,. 
1870,  Messrs.  A.  F.  Bateman,  George  Gandy  and  Henry  M.. 
Howell  were  elected  ruling  elders,  and  on  Sunday  mornings 
January  15th,  1871,  they  were  ordained. 

Death  has  at  various  times  removed  members  of  the  session 
and  some  have  changed  their  places  of  residence,  until  now 
there  is  not  one  of  the  original  session  among  us.  The  ses- 
sion is  composed  at  the  present  time  of  Messrs.  Jasper  Bate- 
man, James  M.  Newcomb,  A.  F.  Bateman  and  Henry  M. 
Howell,  elders,  and  Rev.  George  L.  Smith,  pastor. 

Nearly  all  those  who  formerly  belonged  to  the  old  mother 
church  have  been  removed  by  death,  or  otherwise,  until  now 
there  are  to  be  found,  as  near  as  can  be  ascertained,  but  sixteen 
of  those  who  once  belonged  to  the  Old  Stone  Church  among 
us  ;  and  of  the  original  petitioners  for  the  new  organization 
there  are  but  three,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Blizzard,  Messrs.  Joab 
Sheppard  and  Archibald  Bancroft,  now  living  among  us. 

The  Sabbath-school  connected  with  this  church  was  organ- 
ized April  5th,  1840.  The  names  of  the  superintendents 
who  have  served  in  this  school  are  Dr.  B.  Rush  Bateman, 
William  Ogden,  George  W.  Hires,  David  Whitaker,  Jeremiah 


114  THE   OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

Hann,  David  Harris,  Jasper  Bateman,  Dr.  Robert  M.  Bateman 
and  A.  F.  Bateman,  who  at  present  holds  the  office. 

It  seems  impossible  to  tell  the  exact  number  that  came 
from  the  Stone  Church  to  this,  on  account  of  imperfections  in 
the  records,  but,  as  near  as  we  can  ascertain,  there  were,  pre- 
vious to  the  last  of  the  year  1841,  or  within  about  three  years, 
a  little  over  one  hundred. 

There  seems  to  have  been  added  to  the  original  number 
from  every  source,  before  November  20th,  1841,  one  hundred  ; 
and  from  that  on  before  the  date  February,  1848,  forty-two 
more,  and  so  on  until,  in  April,  1860,  there  is  reported  to  Pres- 
bytery two  hundred  and  twenty  members.  From  worship- 
ping in  a  school-house,  which  was  their  only  shelter,  they 
built  a  brick  church,  in  1839,  measuring,  probably,  thirty- 
seven  by  fifty  feet,  and,  a  little  later,  enlarged  it  by  the 
addition  of  twenty  feet  in  length.  There  was  built,  too,  quite 
a  large  and  commodious  parsonage.  During  the  last  sum- 
mer the  church  has  been  further  improved  and  beautified. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  SECOND  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH, 
CEDARVILLE,  N.  J., 

And  its  Connection  with  the  "  Old  Stone  Church.'" 


BY   REV.    CHRISTIAN    W.   WINNIE. 


It  was  at  the  end  of  that  period,  from  1830-8,  when  the 
church  had  been  rent  asunder  by  feuds  and  doctrinal 
discords,  and  when  the  churches  once  more  began  to  have  a 
foundation,  that  the  Second  Church  was  formed. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that,  on  this  account,  it  grew  out  of 
schism,  or  that  it  separated,  because  of  any  difference  of 
doctrinal  views,  from  the  Mother  Church.  Its  growth  was 
necessary  and  natural,  as  may  be  seen  by  a  reference  to  the 
Session  Records,  pages  1  and  2  :  "A  considerable  portion  of 
the  people  of  Cedarville  and  vicinity,  connected  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church  and  congregation  of  Fairfield,  under 
the  pastoral  charge  of  Rev.  Ethan  Osborn,  having  for  a  long 
time  desired  to  have  a  Presbyterian  Church  established  in 
that  village,  and  concluding  that  the  time  had  arrived  that 
it  should  be  brought  about ;  did,  according  to  previous  public 
notice  from  the  pulpit  on  the  Sabbath  previous,  hold  a  meet- 
ing in  the  church  at  Cedarville,  on  the  evening  of  the  17th  of 
August,  1838,  to  consult  about  the  propriety  of  having  a 
church  organized  at  that  place,  and  to  adopt  measures  for 
that  purpose." 

The  reason^ why  a  church  here  was  judged  necessary  was, 
that  Cedarville  and  vicinity,  comprising  the  south  part  of 


116  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

Mr.  Osborn's  congregation,  and  the  greater  portion  of  it  being 
considerably  remote  from  the  place  of  worship,  occasioned 
great  inconvenience  in  attendance  at  the  church. 

An  adjourned  meeting  was  held  on  the  evening  of  the  22d 
of  August ;  likewise  on  the  31st ;  and  also  on  the  14th  of 
September.  What  was  done  we  only  get  a  hint  of  here  and 
there.  In  the  meantime  a  petition  was  drawn  up,  and 
upwards  of  sixty  signers  obtained,  requesting  the  Presbytery 
to  organize  them  into  a  church,  which  petition  it  was  under- 
stood should  be  presented  before  the  Presbytery  in  October, 
when  in  session  at  Greenwich.  Although  this  church  did 
not  originate  through  the  spirit  of  schism,  yet  the  odium 
theologieum  of  this  time  did  affect  its  ecclesiastical  relations. 

Although  there  was  a  difference  of  sentiment  among  the 
people  in  relation  to  the  two  divisions  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  then  existing,  yet,  under  the  conviction  that  it  was 
necessary  to  be  united,  to  support  a  church  when  formed,  it 
was  considered  advisable  to  forbear,  preferring  a  connection 
with  the  Third  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia. 

Thus  everything  progressed  well  enough  outwardly,  but 
beneath  there  was  a  smouldering  fire,  which  needed  but  the 
least  fanning  to  cause  it  to  burst  into  a  flame. 

This  little  fanning  was  done  in  an  unlooked  for  and  in- 
structive way.  Instructive,  as  showing  how  small  a  thing 
may  set  in  motion  sleeping  emotions,  which  shall  produce 
great  and  lasting  results.  "  Behold  how  great  a  matter  a 
little  fire  kindleth." 

The  Rev.  David  D.  McKee  was  co-pastor  with  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Osborn.  About  this  time  he  preached  a  sermon  which 
contained  views  in  harmony  with  the  majority  of  the  Assem- 
bly of  '37 ;  and  Mr.  Osborn  favored  the  minority  of  that 
Assembly.  So  it  was  but  natural  that  there  should  have 
been  two  parties  in  the  congregation,  which  we  immediately 
find  to  have  been  the  case.  For  we  find  it  recorded,  that  at 
the  meeting  of  September  14th,  the  congregation  voted  to 
retract   from    their   resolution,   viz:    "to   be  organized  as  a 


SECOND  CHURCH,  CEDARVILLE.  117 

church  by  the  Presbytery  of  West  Jersey,  and  now  voted 
that  they  would  be  organized  by  the  Third  Presbytery  of 
Philadelphia."  In  accordance  with  this,  in  October,  the 
committee,  which  was  appointed  in  September,  "  were  in- 
duced, from  various  considerations,  to  write  to  the  Third 
Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  requesting  that  some  of  their 
ministers  come  down  and  preach  a  few  times,  as  some 
thoughts  were  entertained  of  petitioning  the  Presbytery  to 
organize  a  church  at  Cedarville. 

In  accordance  with  the  above  request.  Rev.  Alexander  Por- 
ter, of  Philadelphia,  came  down  and  preached,  acquainted 
himself  with  our  situation,  and,  on  his  return,  was  furnished 
with  a  petition  signed  by  a  number  of  individuals,  request- 
ing the  Presbyter}^  to  organize  a  church  here  as  soon  as  prac- 
ticable, if  it  met  with  their  approbation.  The  petition  being 
presented  by  Rev.  Mr.  Porter,  according  to  instructions,  was 
complied  with  by  the  Presbytery.  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  come  down  and  confer  with  Rev.  Mr.  Osborn  on 
the  subject,  and  if  the  way  should  be  clear,  to  proceed  and 
organize  the  church,  which  took  place  on  the  evening  of  the 
sixth  of  November,  1838. 

The  following  persons  having  presented  one  general  cer- 
tificate of  dismission  from  Rev.  Ethan  Osborn 's  church, 
dated  November  5th,  1838,  were  organized  into  a  church,  at 
Cedarville,  on  the  sixth  of  November,  by  the  Rev.  Robert  W. 
Landis, — the  church  to  be  known  by  the  name  of  "  The 
Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  Fairfield  :" 

Benjamin  Thompson,  James  M.  Bateman, 

Nathaniel  Diament,  Benj.  F.  More, 

Ruth  Diament,*  Charles  E.  Bateman,* 

Harriet  Lawrence,  Lot  Fithian, 

John  Duffield,  Ruth  Smith, 

Mary  Duffield,  Elizabeth  Johnson, 

Samuel  Conover,  Smith  Burt, 

Nancy  Conover,*  William  Conover,* 

Henry  Powell,  Joanna  Conover,* 


118  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

Rebecca  Powell,  Elmer  0.  Bateman,* 

Charlotte  Bateman,  Sarah  Bateman, 

Charlotte  Bateman,  John  Husted, 

(daughter,  Langley*)  Hannah  Husted, 

Matilda  Thompson,*  Eleazer  S.  Bateman.* 
Total  twenty-seven. 

Nathanial  Diament  was  elected  and  ordained  ruling  elder. 

Thus  the  church  was  organized.  Their  first  minister,  Rev. 
Alexander  Porter,  was  employed  for  three  months,  whose 
term  of  service  expired  on  March  24th,  the  following  year, 
1839.  During  this  time  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  seems  to 
have  attended  the  ministrations  of  the  word  ;  for,  in  the 
month  of  March  just  mentioned,  fifteen  persons  were  received 
on  the  profession  of  their  faith. 

The  second  elder  was  Isaac  Harris,  elected  and  ordained 
August  10th,  1839. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  following  year,  1840,  Rev.  A.  G. 
Morss  began  to  preach  to  this  church  as  stated  supply,  and 
continued  till  in  July,  1843,  over  three  years.  A  number  of 
ministers  seem  to  have  preached  to  the  church  at  stated 
intervals,  until  November,  1845.  Then  we  find  this 
record :  "  November  19,  1845 — This  day  Rev.  Beriah  B. 
Hotchkin  was  installed,  by  a  committee  of  the  Third  Pres- 
bytery of  Philadelphia,  as  pastor  of  this  church  in  connection 
with  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Fairfield.  Thus  the 
mother  and  daughter  were  re-united  under  one  pastorate ; 
this  being  the  first  pastor  of  the  Second  Church  up  to  this 
time.  This  relation  seems  to  have  happily  existed  for  nearly 
five  years,  for  on  page  71  of  minutes  we  find  the  following 
record  : 

"June  11th,  185t),  the  Fourth  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia 
dissolved  the  pastoral  relation  subsisting  with  Rev.  B.  B. 
Hotchkin  and  the  First  and  Second  Presbyterian  Churches  of 
Fairfield." 

*Still  living. 


SECOND  CHURCH,  CEDARVILLE.  119 

Thus  was  snapped  asunder  the  last  visible  tie  which  bound 
them,  but  not  the  invisible  and  spiritual  which,  we  trust,  will 
last  through  time  and  eternity. 

It  would  be  pleasant  to  trace  still  further  the  history  of  this 
church,  but  the  object  with  which  we  started  out  is  attained, 
viz :  Its  origin  and  connection  with  the  Old  Stone  Church. 

It  only  remains  to  mention  one  fact  more.  On  December 
20th,  1870,  the  Presbytery  of  "West  Jersey"  changed  the  name 
of  this  church  from  the  Second  Church  of  Fairfield,  to  the 
Second  Church  of  Cedarville,  the  name  by  which  it  is  now 
known. 

That  God  will  bless  this  church  and  make  it  a  garner  for 
many  souls  in  the  present  and  future  is  the  prayer  of  many 
hearts. 


SERVICE  OF  SONG  IN  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 


BY   J.    F.    JAGGERS. 


It  has  been  assigned  me,  on  this  interesting  occasion,  to 
read  a  paper  containing  some  incidents  connecting  the  history 
and  style  of  that  part  of  worship  pertaining  to  sacred  song,  as 
practised  in  the  olden  time,  by  a  congregation  who  were  wont 
to  meet  in  this  ancient  and  venerated  house  of  God  ;  and  I 
only  regret  that  one  more  capable  had  not  been  chosen. 

As  I  look  around  me,  and  on  this  day  especially,  I  am 
carried  back,  in  thought,  quite  a  half-century. 

When  but  a  little  boy  I  was  accustomed  to  sit  in  yonder 
pew,  and  listen  to  the  words  of  that  good  man,  the  Rev.  Father 
Osborn,  whose  name  has  been  associated  with  this  house  and 
place  for  one  hundred  years.  He  was  in  the  pulpit  on  the 
Sabbath  morning  of  each  returning  Lord's  Day,  to  preach  an 
earnest,  practical  sermon.  In  my  childish  notion  of  things  I 
believed  that  somewhere  about  that  sounding  board  there  was 
an  Angel,  or  some  invisible  Being,  communicating  with  the 
speaker,  dictating  and  directing  the  words  he  uttered ;  and 
hence  every  motion  of  the  speaker,  and  the  surroundings,  filled 
me  with  awe,  and  the  most  profound  reverence  for  the  place 
and  the  day. 

In  this  clerk's  seat  (as  it  was  then  called)  were  usually  four 
singers,  whose  office  was  to  lead ;  and  I  now  call  to  mind 
David  F.  Bateman,  Aaron  Bennett,  Woodruff  Robinson  and 
Harvey  Bateman,  who  usually  officiated. 

After  the  hymn  or  psalm  was  announced  from  the  pulpit. 


122  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

they  would  rise  deliberately  in  their  places,  name  the  tune, 
take  the  pitch  from  a  sounding  fork,  slide  up  and  down  the 
scale,  giving  the  sound  of  each  of  the  four  parts;  then  the 
singing  commenced,  and  the  different  parts  of  the  tune  could 
be  heard  distinctly  throughout  the  congregation,  all  joining 
heartily  in  the  worship. 

The  tunes  then  in  use  were  selected  from  a  book  called 
"  Wyth's  2d  Part,"  which  contained  "  shape  notes,"  (some- 
times called  the  "  patent  notes ")  and  read  Faw,  Sol,  Law, 
Mi.  Having  to  repeat  these  notes,  in  order  to  complete  the 
scale,  it  required  no  ordinary  degree  of  study  to  render  the 
sounds  accurately,  giving  the  tones  and  semi-tones  their 
proper  relation  to  each  other ;  and,  in  order  to  make  one  pro- 
ficient in  the  art,  certain  rules  were  introduced  for  the  study 
of  beginners,  called  "  The  Gamut." 

It  was  supposed  that  those  who  occupied  the  clerk's  seat 
were  trained  in  the  schools,  and  led  these  devotions  by  rule,  a 
position  I  sometimes  thought  of,  but  with  little  hope  of  ever 
attaining. 

The  tunes  then  in  use  were  largely  Minor — the  Minor  al- 
ways used  at  funerals.  I  recall  such  as  Russia,  Supplication, 
Windham,  Coleshill,  New  Durham,  Old  Hundred,  Glasgow, 
Ocean,  Sherburne,  Nettleton,  Canaan,  Silverstreet  and  Lenox, 
and  the  anthems,  Easter  Anthem  and  Denmark. 

Some  of  the  singers  at  this  time  noted  in  the  congregation, 
were  Daniel  L.  Burt,  James  Campbell,  Reuben  Ware,  Joseph 
Robinson,  Leonard  Bateman,  Jasper  Bateman  and  William 
Moore ;  three  of  the  number  are  still  living,  and  are  with  us 
to-day. 

Mr.  James  Campbell  was  the  leader  in  our  meetings  at 
Fairton,  for  many  years.  He  made  no  claim  as  to  singing 
by  rule,  (as  he  often  expressed  himself)  but  he  had  a  clear 
voice,  an  accurate  ear,  and  was  a  good  leader. 

The  custom  of  leading  from  the  clerk's  seat  seemed  to  fall 
away  by  common  consent ;  and,  for  some  time,  the  singing 
was  led  by  Reuben  Ware,  David   F.  Bateman  and  William 


SERVICE   OF  SONG.  123 

Moore,  raising  the  tune  from  the  seats  they  occupied  in  the 
body  of  the  church,  or  from  the  front  pew  in  the  gallery. 
From  this  custom  the  singing  began  to  decline,  and  fears 
were  entertained  that  the  public  worship  would  suffer  in 
consequence. 

In  about  the  year  1837-8,  (soon  after  the  division,)  a  choir 
was  formed,  and  the  singers  took  their  seats  in  the  gallery,  in 
front  of  the  pulpit.  A  new  singing  book  was  then  introduced, 
containing  many  additional  tunes.  This  was  pleasing  to  the 
young  people,  but  the  older  folks  affirmed  that  the  new  tunes 
were  not  as  good  as  the  old. 

In  our  singing  schools  the  new,  or  Pestillozian  System  of 
Instruction,  was  used,  (giving  to  each  note  a  name  and  dis- 
tinct sound),  which  soon  became  popular,  and  harmonized  all 
discordant  elements.  The  new  books  introduced  were  "Ives' 
Book,"  "Boston  Academy,"  and  "Carmena  Sacra." 

The  original  members  of  this  choir  were :  Ladies — Martha 
Bateman,  Alvira  Githens,  Ruhama  Seeley,  Jane  Clark,  Mary 
Westcott  and  Theodocia  Smith.  Gentlemen — Joseph  Camp- 
bell, Benjamin  Jaggers,  Isaac  Sheppard  and  Joseph  F.  Jag- 
gers.  The  choir  of  the  Fairton  church  had  its  origin  in  this 
organization. 

In  the  year  1842  Mr.  Daniel  Williams  removed  from  Phila- 
delphia to  his  farm  in  Herring  Row,  and  thereafter  rendered 
us  valuable  assistance  in  singing.  After  the  dedication  of 
the  new  church  building,  in  1850,  by  formal  invitation  of  the 
session,  Mr.  Williams  took  charge  of  the  choir,  and  led  the 
singing  of  the  congregation.  The  choir  had  now  become 
enlarged,  and  among  those  added  were :  Ladies — Lydia 
Barrett,  Emily  Trenchard,  Hannah  Campbell,  Nancy  Trench- 
ard,  Mary  Holmes,  Mary  Campbell,  Sarah  Jane  Bennett  and 
Mary  Githens ;  Gentlemen — Theophilus  Trenchard,  Joseph 
Williams,  Daniel  M.  Williams,  Samuel  H.  Williams,  Albert 
Williams  and  Charles  Campbell. 

In  the  worship  at  the  "  Old  Stone  Church,"  in  the 
olden  time,  we  had  no  organ,  but,  in  about  the  year  1862,  an 


124  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

instrument  was  purchased  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church, 
of  Bridgeton,  for  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars.  This  was  soon 
laid  aside,  being  replaced  by  a  cabinet  organ,  which  is  still  in 
use.  Albert  Williams  was  our  first  organist,  and  continued 
to  act  in  that  capacity  until  his  removal  to  the  city  of  Phila- 
delphia, in  1867.  At  intervals,  in  his  absence,  his  place  was 
supplied  by  Mary  W.  Jaggers.  Since  that  time  the  position 
has  been  filled  by  Mrs.  McNichols  and  her  sister.  Miss  Sophro- 
nia  Elmer,  now  deceased. 

From  1858  to  1866  the  responsibility  of  keeping  up  the 
choir  rested  largely  upon  Mr.  Theophilus  Trenchard.  Under 
his  management  the  singing  was  well  sustained,  and  a  num- 
ber of  the  younger  singers  were  added  to  the  choir,  some  of 
whom  remain  at  the  present  time.  Since  1866  the  direction 
and  leadership  have  been  by  Mr,  Samuel  H.  Williams. 

But  allow  me  to  relate  a  few  incidents  in  the  life  and  habits 
of  that  man  of  God,  who  was  the  settled  pastor  of  the  "  Old 
Stone  Church  "  for  the  term  of  fifty-five  years. 

I  could  never  meet  him  without  feeling  impressed  by  the 
power  of  Christian  example,  and  I  had  some  innate  idea 
that  he  knew  my  thoughts,  and  all  about  my  life ;  hence,  my 
deportment,  while  in  his  presence,  was  always  that  of  the 
highest  order. 

During  his  pastoral  visits  to  our  house,  my  mother  would 
call  us  together  around  the  family  altar,  while  he  read  from 
the  Bible  and  prayed  for  us,  not  forgetting  all  the  children, 
whether  present  or  absent.  On  such  occasions  I  would  take 
the  seat  farthest  from  him,  in  some  corner,  or  shield  myself 
behind  a  chair,  where  the  least  observed.  In  taking  his  leave 
of  the  family  he  would  take  each  one  by  the  hand,  at  the 
same  time  making  a  personal  appeal  to  live  a  Christian  life ; 
and  I  felt  greatly  relieved  when  he  left,  though  his  visits 
made  a  most  salutary  impression  on  my  mind. 

I  well  remember,  also,  his  manner  of  entering  the  church 
on  a  Sabbath  morning.  Some  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  before 
the  hour  of  service  he  might  be  seen,  on  a  morning  in  sum- 


SERVICE   OF  SONG.  125 

mer,  slowly  and  thoughtfully  walking  along  the  grove  up  to 
the  church.  The  trees,  large  and  in  full  foliage,  afforded  a 
delightful  shade.  A  number  of  the  well  known  members  of 
the  congregation,  standing  in  groups,  discussing  the  events  of 
the  day,  would  each  in  turn,  as  he  approached,  step  forward 
to  grasp  the  cordial  hand  extended,  with  the  usual  salutation 
and  inquiry  as  to  the  family  welfare.  The  line  generally  ex- 
tended some  considerable  distance,  from  the  center  of  the 
grove  to  the  church  fence,  and  sometimes  nearly  to  the  door. 
He  would  take  those  directly  in  his  way  by  the  hand,  bowing 
politely  to  others  in  the  background,  or  at  a  distance,  who 
were  too  diffident  to  approach  him.  He  then  entered  the 
church  reverently,  taking  off  his  hat  as  he  passed  through 
the  door,  and,  with  a  measured  step,  walked  along  the  upper 
aisle  to  the  pulpit  steps,  and  ascended.  Taking  his  seat  in  the 
pulpit,  he  would  draw  from  his  pocket  a  brown  silk  handker- 
chief, and  wipe  his  eye-glasses  thoroughly,  after  which  he  was 
ready  for  service. 

The  invocation  being  over,  he  read  a  portion  of  the  Scrip- 
ture, together  with  the  marginal  notes  and  practical  observa- 
tions ;  then  followed  prayer  and  singing. 

He  was  none  the  less  methodical  in  his  preparations  for  the 
pulpit.  His  sermons  were  carefully  prepared,  and  divided 
regularly  into  three  parts,  viz. :  Introduction,  Doctrine  and 
Application.  The  introduction  and  doctrinal  parts  consumed 
thirty  minutes,  and  the  application  fifteen,  making  his  dis- 
course forty-five  minutes  in  length.  If,  perchance,  he  had 
taken  for  the  first  two  parts  two  or  more  minutes  than  the 
time  allotted,  he  would  say,  "  But  I  hasten  to  a  close."  He 
carried  his  watch  in  a  fob,  with  a  shining  steel  chain  and  a 
flat  silver  key,  or  seal,  attached.  At  the  end  of  the  doctrinal 
part  of  the  discourse  this  watch  was  always  taken  out,  and  the 
hour  noted,  when  he  would  govern  the  remainder  of  the  time 
accordingly. 

But  the  crowning  excellence  of  this  eminent  servant  of 
God  was,  in  my  estimation,  most  manifest  in  his  sympathy 


126  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

with  the  bereaved,  and  his  manner  at  funerals.  Let  us  pause 
for  a  moment  and  look  at  that  band  of  mourners  at  the  gate. 
A  coffin  is  borne  by  four  men,  the  pastor  at  the  head,  and, 
close  in  the  rear,  a  mourning  family.  Following  them  a  large 
number  of  friends  have  come  to  pay  the  last  tribute  of  respect 
to  one  so  lately  their  associate.  Now  they  reach  an  open 
grave.  The  coffin  is  let  down  into  the  narrow  house.  The 
last  sad  look  is  taken.  They  retire  a  few  steps,  and  the  sexton, 
with  others,  fill  up  the  grave.  Now  and  then  a  sob  is  heard 
from  the  mourners,  and  tears  of  sympathy  fall  from  the 
spectators.  Solemnity  reigns !  The  last  shovelful  of  earth 
now  rests  upon  the  new-made  grave ;  the  head  and  foot  are 
marked  by  temporary  stakes  of  wood.  The  workmen  have 
moved  back  into  the  crowd.  All  reverently  take  off  their 
hats,  and  stand  silently  confronting  the  future  and  the  past. 
Father  Osborn  steps  to  the  head  of  the  grave,  and,  with 
bared  head,  looks  over  the  congregation  and  speaks  : 

"  In  behalf  of  the  relatives  and  friends  of  the  deceased,  I 
return  thanks  for  \o\iy  kindness  and  attendance  on  this 
mournful  occasion.  Again  we  are  solemnly  reminded,  in  the 
Providence  of  God,  that  we  are  mortal,  and  must  soon  pass 
away. 

"  One  and  another  of  our  friends  are  taken  away  by  death. 
But  a  short  time  ago,  our  friend  who  is  now  in  his  grave, 
was  active  and  among  us,  but  he  is  with  us  no  more !  Go  to 
his  home,  where  he  was  so  recentl}''  surrounded  by  his 
family,  he  is  not  there !  Go  to  his  workshop,  or  his  accus- 
tomed place  of  business,  he  is  not  there !  Go,  on  the  Sab- 
bath, to  yonder  church,  where  he  was  wont  to  sit,  hearing 
the  word  of  God,  he  is  not  there  !  Where  is  he  ?  His  spirit 
has  returned  to  God  who  gave  it.  His  body  lies  in  the  grave 
never  more  to  awake  until  the  archangel's  trump  shall 
sound,  and  call  the  sleeping  dead  to  judgment!  May  God, 
in  His  infinite  mercy,  prepare  us  all  to  follow  him,  that  in 
the  morning  of  the  resurrection  we  may  awake  to  eternal 
life !     And  now,   may  the   grace  of  God,  the   Father,   who 


SERVICE  OF  SONG.  127 

brought  again  from  the  dead  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  be  with  you,  and  abide  with  you,  both  now,  hence- 
forth, and  forevermore,  amen !" 

And,  in  conclusion,  let  me  say,  that  as  I  stand  before  you 
to-day,  with  the  reminiscences  of  the  past  half  century 
vividly  in  review,  I  seem  to  be  among  the  dead — yet  with  the 
living.  This  house,  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God  one 
hundred  years  ago,  venerable  by  age,  and  preserved  intact ; 
hallowed  by  many  holy  associations  ;  that  graveyard ! — 
where  lie  my  kindred  dust,  and  friends  of  my  youth — make 
it  to  me  the  most  sacred  place  and  spot  upon  earth,  and 
when  it  shall  please  God  to  remove  me  hence,  it  is  my  prayer 
— if  His  will — that  my  mortal  body  be  borne  by  friends  to 
this  resting  place,  and  in  the  morning  of  the  resurrection 
arise  together  to  life  eternal  and  a  home  in  heaven. 


REMARKS  BY  REV.  WILLIAM  L.  GITHENS. 


Just  before  the  close  of  the  exercises  of  the  day,  Dr.  Wil- 
liam Elmer,  the  chairman,  called  upon  the  Rev.  William  L. 
Githehs,  rector  of  the  "  Church  of  the  Advent,"  San  Fran- 
cisco, to  address  the  assembly  in  a  few  words  of  parting.  Mr. 
Githens  had  but  just  arrived  from  California,  and  it  seemed 
most  opportune  that  he  should  be  present,  the  only  represen- 
tative from  so  large  a  family  who  had  once  worshipped  in 
the  old  church. 

REMARKS. 

I  wish  to  thank  the  historian  of  the  day,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Whitaker,  for  his  beautiful  tribute  to  the  memory  of  my 
cousin,  the  Rev.  Dr.  N.  C.  Burt,  and  also  my  appreciation  of 
the  kindl}'^  notice  of  my  family,  four  generations  of  whom 
lie  buried  in  the  old  church  yard. 

The  Centennial  of  the  Old  Stone  Church  ! — what  a  subject ! 
What  a  picture  ! — where  the  mind  that  can  grasp  the  thought, 
where  the  artist  that  can  paint  the  picture  ?  One  hundred 
years  to  stand  as  a  witness  to  the  truth.  One  hundred  years 
of  holy  services,  holy  lessons  and  holy  lives.  A  hundred 
years  ago  !  Our  nation  was  young,  but  four  years  old  in  its 
independence,  and  now  behold  the  contrast ! 

Pilgrims  have  journeyed  thousands  of  miles  to  worship  at 
the  shrine  of  some  saint,  or  to  tread  the  plains  of  Palestine. 
Sacred,  because  the  God-Man  once  trod  those  plains  !  To-day 
bow  low,  for  this  spot  is  sacred ;  put  thy  shoes  from  off 
thy  feet,  for  the  place  where  we  meet  is  holy  ground. 
Around  and  about  us  there  is  an  unseen  but  not  an  unfelt 
presence.  We  may  call  this  burial  place  the  City  of  the  Dead  ; 
9 


130  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

is  it  so  ?  Have  they  not  entered  into  life  ?  Is  not  this  the 
land  of  the  dying,  with  its  funeral  trains,  its  sick  beds  and  its 
graves  ?  Beyond  is  that  better  life,  is  the  rest  that  remains. 
Around  and  about  us  may  be  hovering  Angel  Spirits.  For 
once  this  old  and  deserted  church  is  alive  with  living,  breath- 
ing men  and  women,  gathered  to  do  honor  to  the  old  building 
consecrated  by  sacred  memories. 

The  Old  Stone  Church — here  as  a  little  boy  but  five  years 
old,  I  followed  the  coffin  of  my  father,  and  saw  it  placed 
before  this  desk  and  stood  in  the  presence  of  an  awful  mys- 
tery, that  I  could  not  understand.  A  year  later,  and  the 
remains  of  my  sainted  mother  stood  here,  and  the  white- 
haired  pastor  prayed  for  the  orphans,  that  the  Father  of 
Mercies  would  care  for  and  protect  them.  That  dear  old  man 
— will  his  name  ever  be  forgotten  ?  Is  it  not  true  of  him 
that  he  "being  dead,  yet  sleepeth  V  The  name  of  the  Rev. 
Ethan  Osborn  is  a  household  word  in  homes  far  scattered — 
east,  west,  north  and  south — and  his  picture  may  be  seen 
hanging  upon  the  walls,  but  dearer  still  the  picture  engraved 
in  the  hearts  of  those  whom  he  helped  to  lead  to  Christ. 
Well  do  I  recall  that  feeling  of  reverence  with  which  I  gazed 
upon  him  as  with  bared  head,  and  in  his  black  silk  gown,  he 
walked  from  yonder  gate  to  this,  his  pastor's  desk.  The 
impression  of  the  fitness  of  that  outside  badge  of  the  servant 
of  God  has,  perhaps,  helped  me  to  cling  lovingly  to  that 
church  which  bids  her  Priests  be  clothed  in  white  when  they 
approach  God's  altar. 

O,  the  memories  of  this  Old  Stone  Church !  how  they  come 
trooping  up  before  me ;  how  many  I  can  see  before  me  as  I 
look  around  upon  these  pews  and  in  the  gallery,  that  have 
passed  to  the  other  shore !  There  are  some  memories  that 
are  not  all  solemn,  that' come  back  to  me  as  I  look  around. 
In  that  old  gallery  the  boys  used  to  sit,  and  a  favorite  place 
in  the  summer  was  the  window  seats.  In  those  times  the 
church  was  fairly  infested  with  wasps,  and  as  I  never  could 
lay  claim  to  the  title  of  a  "  good  little  boy,"  such  as  we  used 


REMARKS  BY  WM.  L.  GITHENS.  131 

to  read  about  in  our  Sunday  School  library  books,  I,  with 
two  other  boys  about  the  same  age,  would  employ  most  of  our 
time,  to  the  neglect  of  sermon  or  lesson,  to  the  killing  of  those 
humble  insects.  We  three  boys,  grey-headed  now,  one  a  Pres- 
byterian minister  in  Ohio,  another  an  elder  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church  in  Fairton,  the  other  has  the  privilege  of  bring- 
ing up  these  memories  of  the  past.  It  was  worth  while  com- 
ing three  thousand  miles  to  be  present  at  these  services  to-day. 
It  would  be  worth  while  to  come  ten  times  three  thousand 
miles  to  meet  the  welcome  that  has  met  me  on  every  side  from 
the  friends  of  other  days.  These  the  treasures  of  friendship 
and  regard  to  be  treasured  through  eternity. 

The  time  must  come  when  this  church  must  crumble  and 
fall  and  not  a  stone  be  left  to  mark  the  spot  where  once  it 
stood.  Will  it  have  perished  ?  No  !  A  thousand  times,  No ! 
Like  the  invisible  ladder  in  Jacob's  dream,  upon  which  the 
angels  ascended  and  descended,  so  outside  the  walls  of  this 
church  another  temple  has  been  erected,  all  unseen  by  mortal 
eyes,  but  upwards  and  upwards  has  it  ascended,  and  see,  on  its 
topmost  wall  there  stands  the  cross  of  the  crucified,  and  there 
comes  floating  down  to  us  the  music  of  the  harpers,  as  they  cast 
their  crowns  before  the  throne,  and  sing  the  new  song  to  Him 
who  has  redeemed  them  from  death,  "  Thou  art  worthy,  0, 
Lord."  And  see — that  goodly  company — and  one  among  them 
who  has  received  the  "Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant." 
It  is  the  pastor  with  his  flock ;  they  are  a  part  of  the  multi- 
tude that  no  man  can  number;  they  are  safely  housed, safely 
home  in  the  mansions  prepared  for  them  ages  ago. 

Aye,  this  old  church  may  crumble  and  fall,  but  not  the 
lessons  of  hope,  of  faith,  which,  learned  within  these  walls, 
are  to  grow  and  spread  through  all  eternity,  and  if  we,  my 
friends,  so  follow  God's  saints  in  all  virtuous  and  godly  living 
— we  shall  come  at  last  to  those  unspeakable  joys  that  God 
has  prepared  for  all  who  love  him  ;  with  the  sure  faith  and 
trust  in  the  everlasting  God,  when  every  earthly  structure 
shall  crumble,  we  may  have  our  dwelling  place  in  that 
"  temple  not  made  with  hands  eternal  in  the  heavens.'^ 


LETTER  OF  REV.  DAVID  D.  M'KEE. 


The  venerable  Rev.  David  D.  McKee,  residing  at  Hanover, 
Ind.,  was  invited  to  participate  in  the  memorial  services  at 
the  Stone  Church,  of  which  he  was  co-pastor  with  Father 
Osborn,  some  forty-four  years  ago.  In  his  letter  of  reply, 
addressed  to  Rev.  S.  R.  Anderson,  which  was  read  at  the 
centennial,  after  expressing  a  desire  to  be  present  on  such 
an  interesting  occasion,  but  declining,  because  of  his 
health  and  the  journey  to  be  undertaken,  he  proceeds  to 
make  the  following  graphic  and  interesting  outline  of  the 
precious  revival  enjoyed  by  the  church  in  1836.  It  is  especi- 
ally valuable  as  being  the  only  histor}^  of  that  remarkable 
work  of  grace  that  has  ever  been  written  and  published  : 

"  In  October,  1835, 1  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Presby- 
tery of  Philadelphia,  in  session  at  Salem,  N.  J.,  at  which  time 
I  was  a  student  of  theology  in  the  Princeton  Seminary.  In 
April,  1836,  at  the  request  of  Dr.  Alexander,  I  went  to  Fair- 
field and  placed  myself  under  the  care  of  Rev.  Ethan 
Osborn  and  the  session  of  the  church,  to  spend  my  vacation 
in  such  work  as  they  might  assign  me. 

"  The  arrangement  was  that  the  Sabbath  morning  service 
was  to  be  at  the  Stone  Church,  conducted  on  alternate  Sab- 
baths by  Father  Osborn  and  myself.  He  was  to  take  what 
other  service  his  health  and  strength  would  permit.  I  was 
to  preach  on  alternate  Sabbath  afternoons  or  evenings  at  the 
villages  of  Cedarville  and  Fairton,  and  on  week  evenings,  as 
occasion  might  offer,  in  the  school-houses  in  the  vicinity. 
Much  of  my  time  was  employed  in  visiting  the  families  of  the 
congregation  and  in  forming  the  acquaintance  of  the  people. 


134  THE  OLD  STONE  CHURCH. 

In  mingling  with  the  people  I  found  a  few  persons  who  were 
more  or  less  earnestly  inquiring  after  the  way  of  salvation. 

"  There  had  been  kept  up,  as  I  learned,  for  many  years,  a 
Saturday  evening  prayer  meeting,  at  the  school-house  in 
Cedarville,  which,  from  my  first  coming  among  them,  was 
generall}'^  well  attended. 

"  After  I  had  been  there  several  weeks,  one  Saturday  morn- 
ing, just  as  I  was  starting  to  Bridgeton,  to  preach  a  prepara- 
tory lecture  for  Brother  Kennedy,  a  young  man  came  to  my 
room,  anxiously  inquiring,  as  did  the  jailor,  "  What  must  I 
do  to  be  saved  ?"  After  a  brief  conversation,  and  promising 
to  see  him  in  the  evening  at  the  prayer  meeting,  I  hurried 
off  to  meet  my  appointment.  In  the  evening,  as  I  returned, 
I  called  on  Father  Osborn,  and  he  went  with  me  to  the 
prayer  meeting.  The  school-house  was  crowded.  The  meet- 
ing was  conducted  in  the  usual  way,  with  brief  remarks, 
both  by  Father  Osborn  and  myself,  and  was  dismissed  at  the 
usual  time.  The  young  man  spoken  of  in  the  morning  came 
up,  and  I  directed  him  to  Mr.  Osborn,  and  just  then  I  was 
asked  to  step  to  another  part  of  the  house  where  I  found 
several  persons,  whose  anxious  inquiry  was,  "  what  they 
must  do  to  be  saved  !"  In  looking  around  I  observed  that 
the  congregation,  instead  of  leaving,  had  all  taken  their 
seats,  and  the  whole  audience  was  greatly  moved,  and  sup- 
pressed sobs  were  heard  from  every  part  of  the  house.  An 
hour  or  more  was  spent  in  singing,  prayer,  exhortation  and 
private  conversation,  when  the  congregation  was  again 
dismissed  ;  but  none,  or  very  few,  left  the  house.  The  exer- 
cises were  resumed  and  continued  till  the  hour  of  midnight, 
when  it  was  suggested  that  the  duties  of  the  Sabbath  were 
coming  on,  and  that  it  might  be  profitable  to  spend  a  few 
hours  in  the  privacy  of  our  own  chambers,  and  give  oppor- 
tunity for  meditation,  and  that  we  would  meet  there  at  sun- 
rise in  the  morning  to  spend  an  hour  in  prayer.  The  people 
then  slowly  retired,  many  of  them  going  in  groups  of  four 
or  five  to  different  houses  with  some  experienced  Christian,  and 


LETTER   OF  REV.  DAVID  D.  McKEE.         135 

the  remainder  of  the  night  was  spent  in  religious  exercises. 
At  sunrise  the  house  was  filled  with  deeply  interested,  anxious 
worshippers.  The  morning  service  at  the  Stone  Church  was 
well  attended.  In  the  evening  the  school-house  was  not 
only  full,  but  they  were  crowded  around  the  windows  on  the 
outside,  anxious  to  hear  the  gospel.  At  the  close  of  the  ser- 
vice I  appointed  an  inquiry  meeting  for  Monday  evening  at 
my  own  room,  where  the  session  would  meet  with  the  anxious 
and  inquiring,  to  direct  and  instruct  them.  Between  sixty 
and  seventy  came,  and  after  weeks  of  instruction,  both  pub- 
lic and  private,  at  the  first  communion  season,  the  session 
received  into  membership  of  the  church,  on  the  profession  of 
their  faith,  sixty-two  persons,  the  fruit  of  this  revival.  At  a 
subsequent  communion  others  came  in,  making  in  all  about 
seventy.  And  I  do  not  know  that  an^  of  the  number  ever 
dishonored  their  profession.  Many  of  them,  after  consistent 
Christian  lives,  "  have  fallen  asleep,  but  some  remain  until 
the  present  time."  One  of  them  has  been  a  useful  minister 
of  the  gospel  for  a  third  of  a  century.  There  were  other 
youths  in  the  congregation,  who,  although  they  were  not 
brought  into  church  at  that  time,  may  have  received  im- 
pressions that  resulted  in  their  conversion,  and  who  became 
ministers  of  the  gospel — N.  C.  Burt,  one,  if  not  two  of  the 
sons  of  E.  Westcott,  and  also  a  son  of  Mr.  Whitaker.  I  have 
sjDoken  of  this  revival  as  a  remarkable  work  of  grace — re- 
markable in  that  it  came  without  any  apparent  special  human 
agency.  It  was  manifest  to  all  that  it  came  "  not  by  might, 
not  by  power,  but  by  the  spirit  of  the  Lord."  I  felt  and  be- 
lieved then,  I  feel  and  believe  still,  that  there  was  an  inti- 
mate communion  between  that  long  continued  Saturday 
evening  prayer  meeting  and  that  precious  revival.  There 
had  been  earnest,  importunate,  persevering  and  believing 
prayer  that  brought  down  this  rich  shower  of  blessing." 


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